The New Miracle
by DarkHelm145
Summary: After his parents allow him to go to school in Japan, Ryuto begins his quest on trying to change the views of two people. While he does this he meets new people who can achieve his goals plus meeting up with old friends.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: So here starts a new adventure, this time its with Kuroko no Basket(my fav anime). This story is going to be longer than my two previous ones so get ready for that. For now I'm thinking 30 chapters, but it could diminish or grow depending on how I write. Hope you enjoy this new story, and be sure to read the bottom author's note for stats on my OC. The OC is kinda self insert a bit of my personality is interwoven with him. I also play basketball so the positions I play he play's too. Remember I do not own Kuroko no Basket, I only own the OC.**

A New Miracle

Chapter 1

A New Beginning

A boy walked through the gates of his new school. He wore the school's uniform which consisted of black pants and black jacket with a blue stripe running down the middle, he wore the zipper slightly opened at the top. He looked rather intriguing he had messy smokey gray hair and pale blue eyes almost gray as well. The boy took a deep breath and continued walking through the schools court year, the court yard reminded him a lot of his old school. People were giving out flyers for their respective clubs, the boy had only on club in mind: the basketball club. He continued walking when he found another boy giving out flyers for the basketball club. The boy's face greatly resembled a cat, the grey haired boy asked cat face where he could sign up for the club. Cat face replied that he should look for a boy with black hair and glasses and a girl with short light brown hair. The grey haired boy found who he was looking for and walked towards the table where the boy and girl were sitting.

"Is this where I can sign up for the basket ball club?" the grey haired boy asked.

The girl nodded and gestured for him to sit down on the chair. The boy sat down on the chair and was given a form, which stated: to write down his name, high school year, middle school he went to, and why he wanted to join the club. The grey haired boy wrote down the information and headed it back to the girl, the black haired boy seemed indifferent about the whole situation.

"I see, so your name is Ryuto Rishihara(Ree-she-ha-ra). It's a pleasure to meet you Rishihara-kun." the girl said. "Call me Ryuto, I don't like it when people call me by my last name. I understand the reason behind it, but I just don't like it." Ryuto said with a straight face. "I'll make a mental note." the girl said as she continued to look through the form.

Ryuto noticed as her eyes widened as she made it to a part of his form. She then turned her head to the black haired boy who also seemed surprised. Ryuto then decided to speak up.

"Is there something wrong?" Ryuto asked. "Your from America!?" the girl asked loudly. "Yeah I am does that matter?" Ryuto asked. "No it does't it just surprised me thats all," the girl said, "well it was nice to meet you Ryuto-kun. Tryouts are today after school I expect you to be there." "I will, and it was nice meeting you too… uhh whats your name?" Right said with one hand behind his head and a nervous smile. "I'm Aida Riko and this Hyūga Junpei." the girl, now called Aida, said gesturing to the boy next to her.

Ryuto nodded and got up form his seat. He started to walk to the entrance to main building when he felt a bump on his chest.

"Sorry about that, didn't see you there." Ryuto apologized. "It's not a problem." the blue haired boy said very monotonous as he continued walking.

Ryuto was now confused, the boy kept walking as if he did not notice him. Ryuto shrugged it off and continued walking.

Ryuto got to his homeroom and sat in the back of the classroom waiting for the school day to start. He stared out though the window, his mind was only thinking one thing the person he wanted to see the most not that he was here in Japan. The school's bell rung and it snapped Ryuto out of his thoughts. His classmates started to pour into the classroom, the homeroom size was decently big. No one bothered to talk to him which was something he did not mind. Ryuto looked at all of his classmates when he noticed again the blue haired boy a two desks in front of him, no one seemed to notice him. Ryuto thought to himself: _Could he have what I have?_ Ryuto was once again stripped for his thoughts when the teacher walked in she welcomed the freshmen to Seirin High School. Ryuto sighed today was going to be a long orientation.

The day had passed just as slowly as Ryuto had predicted. He looked at the clock and noted he had some time to kill before practice. His phone started to buzz, he got a text message from one of his best friends, one that he met when he visited Japan when he was about eight years old.

 _Ryu-chan, I heard you started school in Japan, is it true?_

 _-Tao_

Ryuto smiled, he knew this message would come eventually, he even expected it from him. He chuckled as he sent his friend a reply:

 _Yeah its true bro, I wanted to go to the same school as you, but the one I'm attending is closer to my house._

 _-Ryuto_

He waited for a few seconds for a reply. He felt the vibration in his hand, Ryuto opened up the message that read:

 _Why didn't you, the bball team would be even stronger with you?_

 _-Tao_

Ryuto laughed a little again and responded with:

 _Who said I would join the bball team?! Anyways I would've joined, but maybe we can meet up before we see each other on the court. How does that sound?_

 _-Ryuto_

The response came quicker than Ryuto had anticipated.

 _Yeah sure sounds fun. I'll talk to you again later gotta head to practice. Talk later Ryu-chan_

- _Tao_

Ryuto smiled as he put his phone away. He looked back at the clock and noticed that he was late for his basketball practice. He raced to a bathroom to change. He quickly changed and raced to the gym he slammed the door open panting, he looked up to find Aida saying his name.

"Here." Ryuto said panting. Aida looked back to find Ryuto panting. "Why are you late?" Aida asked. "Got caught up with something else and lost track of time." Ryuto answered. "Well it doesn't matter now that your here stand in the line." Aida said sternly. "Right." Ryuto said as he stood up.

He started to walk towards the line of other who wanted to try out, to find someone he was not expecting. He smiled as he saw the red head.

" _Well Taiga this is the last place I'd find you._ " Ryuto said in english.

The one now called Taiga looked forwards to see the person who was talking to him, to find a certain grey haired boy standing in front of him with a smile.

" _No way Ryuto, you're here too? I heard you were also coming to Japan, but I didn't expect you to come to this school._ " Taiga said in english as well.

The rest of the people in the gym looked at the two boys as they spoke a language they could barely understand and how much lighter Taiga was like now that Ryuto was talking to him.

" _We'll catch up later, right now we gotta do this._ " Right said with Taiga responding with a nod.

Ryuto went to stand next to Taiga when he saw the blue haired boy standing next to him. Ryuto decided to test the theory he had about him earlier in the day.

"All right everyone remove your shirts." Aida said, who also turned out to be the coach.

Everyone seemed very uncomfortable with the idea, but Ryuto took off his his shirt anyways. The coach went around the boys looking at them intensely. After looking at them she would write something down and move on the the next person. When she made it to Taiga, she stared at him in awe, even Ryuto had to admit Taiga was in good shape. Hyūga talked to the coach and she was removed form her trance, she wrote somethings down and moved on to Ryuto. She was not as in awe with his as she was with Taiga, but she seemed to not be bothered by what she saw. She once again wrote something down and started to walk back towards Hyūga.

"Oi, coach aren't you missing one the one form Teikō; Kuroko Tetsuya?" Hyūga said.

Everyone started to murmur things about Teikō and how they had absurdly strong players. Ryuto inferred that the must be talking about the blue haired boy. The coach started to call out his name, when there was no response she concluded that he was not present. Ryuto noticed the blue haired boy walk towards her.

"Excuse me, I'm Kuroko Tetsuya." the blue haired boy, now called Kuroko, said monotonously.

Everyone jumped back in surprise as the Kuroko "suddenly" appeared. Everyone was asking the same question when did he arrive and how long has he been standing there. Ryuto sighed and decided to speak up.

"He's been here the whole time I noticed him the moment I walked in." Ryuto said.

No one seemed to calm down. Ryuto noticed Kuroko's eyes widen when he said the he could see him, Ryuto's theory was just proven correct. The coach had to clam everyone one down, she then ordered for Kuroko to remove his shirt. Once he did so she let out a high pitched yell. The rest of the practice went by rather smoothly after Kuroko appeared. Taiga was showing off his prowess in dunking, to which Ryuto scoffed. The practice ended at around 5:30, everyone helped clean up the gym as it was a requirement to be able to use it. Ryuto took off his sweaty practice shirt and put on a clean one. Ryuto was about to leave the gym when he heard the coach's voice calling for him to come over.

"Start talking now." she demanded, clearly ticked off about something. "About what exactly?" Ryuto asked. "How you know Kagami and how you were able to see Kuroko." the coach responded. "Well me and Taiga went to the same middle school in the States. As for Kuroko lets just say I have a good eye for people like him." Ryuto responded. "So your Japanese and yet you speak english without and accent?" the coach asked. "Yeah I was born in the States to Japanese parents, so in my home we would almost always speak Japanese while everywhere else I spoke english. Unlike Taiga who moved to the States when he was in elementary school. Will that be all I really have got to get going?" Ryuto asked. "Yeah thats answers most of my questions, so see you tomorrow." the coach said.

Ryuto said goodbye and headed out the gate of the school. He walked towards the nearest bus stop and got on it, it was the quickest way to his home. Once he arrived at his stop he got off the bus and walked up towards his apartment. Ryuto lived alone, his parents wanted him to have at least one school semester abroad before collage, so he chose Japan. His younger siblings and parents stayed in the States, they said it would be good practice for collage. Ryuto opened the door to his apartment, all the moving boxes were still a mess in a corner, he turned on the lights to the apartment, which unveiled even more mess from moving in. Right sighed he would have to clean that up eventually. Ryuto set down his bag, grabbed the mail key and went to check it. He found a package form his parents. He opened it once he got back into his apartment, it was a CD which had a note attached to it that read: _You left this back home so I sent it to you. -Mom._ Ryuto smiled his opened the CD packaging and put it into the stereo, it was his Japanese music playlist that he would listen to almost all the time. He friends from the States would tease him about it, but Ryuto didn't care. He turned on the stereo and pressed play to hear his favorite song from the CD, it always pumped him up. Ryuto then continued to move boxes around and put others in the trash. His apartment was only temporary he would move in with his cousin later into the school year, so he kept some things in their boxes, while the essentials the removed from them. Ryuto opened a box that read: _Personal stuff_. It had mostly pictures of his family. One was with his mother and father plus his two siblings, he had a few more of those. The ones at the bottom of the box were the ones he liked the most. One was with his cousin a pink haired girl who was always cheerful there was also a boy with tan skin and navy blue hair all three of them were smiling. There was another of those three playing basketball all three of them were having fun, those defiantly were the good old days. The then pulled out another picture from the box, this was with another cousin, but this cousin was a boy with red hair. Lately Ryuto felt distant from this cousin, he was not the same person he remembered when they first met. Ryuto set down the pictures on a table, when he felt his stomach growl.

"Well time to eat." Ryuto said aloud.

He got up form the floor and headed to the kitchen. There was not a lot of food in his fridge, Ryuto sighed he put on more casual clothes grabbed his house keys and went out to find a fast food place so he could get something to eat. As he walked around the city he looked through a window of a restaurant and saw Kuroko leaving the place. Ryuto turned around to meet him.

"Well Kuroko." Ryuto said to him.

Kuroko turned around to find his teammate smiling at him.

"Hello Rishihara-kun." Kuroko said.

Ryuto's smile faded as Kuroko called him by his last name.

"Please don't call me by my last name it bothers me." Ryuto pleaded. "Oh I didn't know. Why are you here?" Kuroko asked bluntly. "Well you're just like me you have low presence. Thats the reason I can see you, part of it really." Ryuto said. "So I was right then, I thought you might have it as well." Kuroko said. "You're observant, we're quite similar you know. But my low presence is more like an on and off switch." Ryuto said. "How so?" Kuroko asked. "You'll see." Ryuto said with a smile once again in his face. "Can I ask you something?" Ryuto asked. "Sure." Kuroko answered. "You went to the same middle school as he did right?" Ryuto asked.

Kuroko pondered the question for a second. He had to be talking about the Generation of Miracles, but the way Ryuto said 'he' Kuroko knew who Ryuto was talking about.

"Yes I did." Kuroko answered. "Did he ever seem like he changed?" Ryuto asked. "You could say that." Kuroko. "Thanks for the info see you tomorrow in school." Ryuto said walking away.

The next morning Ryuto was doing the same routine that happened the day before. He walked around the school's hallways. As he walked he heard some some girls that are in his class giggle as he passed, annoyed he decided to disappear. The rest of the day felt slow once again, it was not until he made to basketball practice that the day really got kicking.

"Today the first years are going to play the second years!" The coach announced.

The first years seemed scared they kept murmuring that even though they were only second years they made it really far in Inter-High the year before. Taiga was threatening them to calm down, to no avail. Ryuto walked towards his friend and swatted him on the back of the head.

"Hey what was that for?" Taiga yelled. "You gotta calm down your hot headedness is going to affect the whole team. Now get your ass to the middle of the court, you're going to do the jump ball." Ryuto ordered.

Taiga froze in fear for a few moments. The rest of the people in the gym seemed to be amazed at how Ryuto was able to control Kagami like that.

"Y-y-yes captain." Taiga stuttered as he walked to the middle.

Everyone was amazed at what just happened. They were even surprised when Kagami called him captain. Ryuto looked to the others on his team, it consisted of: Kuroko, Kōki Furihata, and Hiroshi Fukuda.

"All right then here's the game plan: Furihata your going to be small forward, I'm playing point guard. Got that?" Furihata nodded. "Fukuda; you're center get as many rebounds as you can. Got it?" Fukuda nodded. "Taiga you're playing power forward, you know what to do." Taiga nodded. "Kuroko say back for a little while, you'll do your thing later." Kuroko nodded.

The coach threw the ball up as she blew the whistle, Kagami was the first to get the ball and passed it to Ryuto. Ryuto dribbled slowly towards the three point line, he looked around the second year were serious, but their guards were a bit low. Ryuto smiled, a quick and easy shot. He moved the ball to his right hand, the one guarding him was the second year point guard Shun Izuki. Ryuto started to dribble with his right hand, it was a bit clumsy but enough to do his maneuver. He started to dribble slower. Ryuto then did a quick crossover to his left hand and in a matter of seconds he was already under the basket with he ball going through the hoop. First point was for the first years. Everyone was silent all that was heard the ball bounce on the floor, then murmuring started. It ranged from: "How did he do that?" to "That was really fast."

"Come on guys we're on defense." Ryuto called to his teammates, who were broken form their trance.

"Don't mind Izuki, you'll get him next time." Hyūga patted him on the shoulder.

The second years got into their positions on offense. Ryuto did a quick analyze of their formation. Their main person to get points was the captain, Hyūga, Izuki was the one who set everything up, the center Mitobe was for rebounds and inside shots, finally their power forward and small forward were a bit of a wild card, Ryuto could not figure out what their strengths were. Izuki made a quick pass to Hyūga, who caught the ball and made a three point shot. Ryuto was impressed his form was excellent. Ryuto's team was back on offense, Taiga had calmed down and was now usable. _No need to show too much_ Ryuto said to himself. He passed the ball to Taiga who made it into a flashy dunk, Ryuto rolled his eyes as they returned for defense. The two teams continued to get points until the second years to a good lead once half-time came. Furihata started to say that the second years were really strong, Taiga grabbed him by the shirt and brought him up to his level. He was not able to finish threatening him due to Kuroko's intervention to tell him to calm down. Ryuto smiled there was at least one other person who could calm Taiga down.

"Kuroko." Ryuto called out to the blue haired boy. "Yes, Ryuto-kun?" Kuroko replied. "Come here for a sec." Ryuto said.

The blue haired boy walked over his teammates were jumping in surprise at Kuroko's sudden appearance.

"What do you need?" Kuroko asked. "I want to see what you can do, and nows the time." Ryuto said. Kuroko nodded as the coach blew the whistle to start the second half.

The first years started with the ball after half-time, Ryuto dribbled slowly down the court again. He looked towards the second years, their guards were up. Ryuto looked towards Kuroko who started to make his way to the key. Ryuto faked an attack to the right and passed it to Fukuda, who was guarded by Mitobe. Mitobe positioned himself to receive the ball, but suddenly the ball curved towards Kagami, even though he was surprised made the shot. Ryuto smiled this was Kuroko's ability: misdirection. The game continued with a fast pace each team scoring after another, Kuroko was continue to use his ability through the game to send passes mostly Taiga's way something Ryuto did not mind. Once the final whistle blew, signaling that the game had ended, Ryuto looked towards the score 38-37, the first years had won thanks to Kuroko and Taiga's teamwork. While everyone was starting to leave Ryuto stayed behind a bit longer to practice his jump shots.

"What are you still doing here?" a voice called out to Ryuto.

He looked back to find the coach standing at the door way, waiting to lock up the court. Seeing her impatience he decided to stop. After putting the balls away he went to his bag grabbed his clean shirt and put it on after taking off the sweaty one. He walked outside and watched as the coach locked up before turing to leave.

"Sorry about that, just getting some extra jump shot practice thats all." Ryuto apologized as they walked together towards the gate of the school.

They walked in science for a few minutes, Ryuto was looking at all the buildings around completely ignoring the coach.

"Can I ask you something?" the coach asked. "Yeah sure, whats on your mind?" Ryuto answered. "Kagami called you captain, whats up with that?" she asked. "Well back in middle school I was the captain of the team for my last year and that year Taiga was a full time starter too, so that probably why." Ryuto answered. "And what about that move you pulled?" the coach asked. "You mean the crossover?" Ryuto replied. She nodded. "Thats something that I've been working on since middle school, I'm a born lefty so I began to practice dribbling with my right, it's a bit clumsy, but it get the job done." Ryuto said with a smile.

They both made it to the bus stop and got on it they sat in silence for some time. Aida started to study Ryuto this time instead of looking for his stats.

"What are you doing?" Ryuto asked turning away form the book he was reading. "Oh uh nothing just trying to read your shirt." she said nervously. "Well you could've just asked." Ryuto said with a smile. "Its the physical education shirt for my middle school. I'm surprised it still fits me. I mainly kept it was a reminder of back home." Ryuto explained turing back to his book.

The bus came to a stop, Ryuto looked up and noticed it was his stop. He got up to leave. When Aida grabbed his arm to stop him.

"This is my stop, I gotta get going." Ryuto said as she let go of his arm. "I just wanted to give you this is all." she said handing a paper.

The paper read: Club Membership Form. Ryuto looked towards her with a smile.

"Thanks, uhh when do I hand this in?" Ryuto asked. "I'll tell you." she said. "See you tomorrow." Ryuto said as he waved goodbye.

Ryuto walked towards his apartment and opened the door. It was the same as he had left it boxes everywhere. Ryuto sighed as he sat down on the couch. He took out his phone to find a message form one of his cousins. He opened his phone and read the message.

 _Ryu, can't wait to see you, when do you want to meet up?_

 _-Satsuki_

Ryuto responded back saying during the weekend they could meet up. He set his phone down and looked at one of the picture he had on the table. One in particular stood out, the picture of his middle school team when they won the championship in his last year of middle school. He set down the the picture and decided to go to sleep early.

The day after the coach gave Ryuto the form, he was told to go to the roof of the school during the morning assembly. Deciding not to question anything Ryuto went towards the roof. When he got there he found some of his fellow first years and the coach.

"Why are we here, we have morning assembly right now?" Kagami asked. "Well here your going to say your resolve for going to nationals! If you fail to do this you'll have to confess to the girl you love." the coach said.

Three of the six freshmen on the roof started to shudder. Ryuto noticed Taiga smile he walked towards the railing and yelled: "Class 1-B, number 5, Kagami Taiga. I will defeat the Generation of Miracles and become the best player in Japan!" "Who's next?" the coach asked. Furihata, Fukuda, and Kawahara shuddered again. Ryuto walked forward he decided to go next. He grabbed onto the railing, he took in a deep breath then shouted: "Class 1-A, number 10, Ryuto Rishihara. I want to help my team become the strongest they can be!" Ryuto walked back to the group, once there let out a deep breath. "Still afraid of heights Ryuto?" Taiga asked. "Yeah I am. At least its not as bad as your fear." Ryuto replied.

Furihata and Kawahara told their reasons to join the club, even though Kawahara's was forcefully cut short. Kuroko was about to say his reasons, though a megaphone, before two teachers burst through the door that leads on the roof. They started to punish everyone there, deciding to not to be one to get yelled at, Ryuto disappeared. The day progressed rather quickly and eventful. Everybody was talking about what had happened on the roof. That day there was not any basketball practice, so Ryuto had the rest of the afternoon free. He decided to call his friend see if he wanted to do something. He pulled out his phone and dialed the number of his friend. After a few moments he heard his friend's voice on the other side.

"Hey Tao, wanna do something today? I got the afternoon free." Right asked. "Yeah sure. Where do you want to meet up?" Tao asked. "Want to meet up at an arcade then grab something to eat?" Ryuto suggested. "Yeah sounds good. Give about 20 minutes." Tao answered. "All right then see you then." Ryuto said as he hung up.

Ryuto walked towards the nearest arcade that was in between Tao's and his school. After a few minutes of waiting Ryuto looked towards the other end of the street to find his friend across it waving at him. The boy was Ryuto's age he had black hair with a few strands falling to his eyes, he had blue eyes and had his usual smirk. Ryuto waved back, once he made it across the street he and Tao fist bumped.

"Its been a while, Takao." Ryuto said. "Yeah it has Ryuto." Takao responded. "So what game do you want me to destroy you at first?" Ryuto asked. "Ha, good luck with that. I'll be delivering the destruction." Takao replied. "Fine then, how about a bet? If you beat me in the most games, I'll pay for food, but if I win the most you have to pay. Sound fair?" Ryuto asked. "Challenge accepted Ryu." Takao agreed. "Then let the games begin, Tao." Ryuto replied.

They both smiled and went to play their bet. By the time they had finished night had fallen onto the city. The friends walked out of the arcade laughing as they did so, it was a fun night.

"I'll admit it your good Ryu." Tao said. "Looks like your paying for food." Ryuto said laughing. "Yeah, yeah. What do you want to eat something American?" Tao said mockingly. "I could go for a burger, but how about something Japanese?" Ryuto asked. "Right then I know just the place." Tao said with a smile.

They went to a restaurant that you could cook your own food, which was something completely new to Ryuto. Since neither of the two were not all that hungry, so they ate light.

"So why did you decide tome to Japan?" Tao asked. "Well my parents wanted for me to have at least one school semester abroad before collage. They said I could chose wherever I wanted to go, so I chose Japan. My parents didn't come with me though they stayed also claiming that it is good practice for when collage rolls around. But sooner or later I'm moving in with my cousin so it's not all bad." Ryuto answered. "Wow thats interesting. What schools did you consider going to?" Tao asked. "Well Seirin, your school; Shutoku, my cousins school; Tōō, and Rakuzan. You can tell which one I chose." Ryuto answered. "Wait, why did you consider Rakuzan?" Tao asked. "You're asking a lot of question, but anyways. I thought about going to Rakuzan, 'cause I heard their sports program is good and my grades were all right, but it seemed too uptight for me. And someone who I would rather not talk to goes there." Ryuto answered. "Yeah I agree, Rakuzan does seem too uptight." Tao responded.

The two sat in silence for a short period as they ate. After they ate and payed the walked outside of the restaurant and decided to call it a night.

"It was good to see you again, Tao." Ryuto said with a smile. "Ditto bro. Hope we can meet on the court someday." Tao said. "Yeah me too. Well see ya." Ryuto said as he raised his fist for a fist bump.

The two parted ways, Ryuto walked to the nearest bus stop to catch a ride back to his apartment. He wanted to go to sleep, his body was tired and he could feel that tomorrow was going to be another long day. When Ryuto arrived for homeroom the next morning there was quite the commotion around the windows. Everyone was crowed around it murmuring things here and there. When his curiosity peaked him Ryuto walked over to the window and saw a message written in the courtyard, it read: We will be the best in Japan. Ryuto smiled he had a pretty good idea who it was that wrote it. After school the team met up at the locker room to get changed. Hyūga, Izuki, and Koga were looking at a basketball magazine that featured the Generation of Miracles, however there was not an article about Kuroko. All of a sudden Fukuda burst into the locker room.

"She's back, the coach is back! She said we're going to play a practice game." Fukuda yelled. Those that were in the locker room gasped. "I wonder who we're playing?" Hyūga asked. "Who knows. She was skipping though." Fukuda said with a hand behind his head. "She was skipping?!" Hyūga said startled. "Be ready everyone. If she was skipping are opponent is gonna be real though." Hyūga warned.

Practice started as normal the first years practiced offense while the second years were on defense. Furihata passed to Kuroko, who then quickly after passed it to Kagami, who drove to the basket then did a spin move to get Izuki away from him then proceed to dunk the ball. The rest of the team started to comment on how fast Kagami had maneuvered. Ryuto let out a sigh, flashy as always.

"Gather around everyone!" the coach yelled. "Yes ma'am!" everyone replied in unison. "A practice game against Kaijo?!" Hyūga said startled. "Yep. They'll be good practice for us, we're also going to put some first years in." the coach. "But they're so much better." Koga said. "Are they really that good?" Kawahara asked. "They're at the national level. They make it into Inter-High every year." Hyūga answered. "They even have one of the Generation of Miracles, Kise Ryōta." the coach added. Three of the first years started to shudder again, Ryuto realized whoever that was he was strong. "Ummm who are the Generation of Miracles exactly?" Ryuto asked. All eyes were on him, most of the people had wide eyes even Taiga was looking at him funny. "I'll go look them up." Ryuto said nervously.

Ryuto looked to his left and saw a long line of girls with papers or pictures in their hands. He then looked towards where the line ended and there sat a boy with blonde hair signing autographs. The team was still engrossed in conversation, so Ryuto decided to step out.

"Oi, blondie you lost?" Ryuto asked. "I don't think I am." the blonde responded. The blonde seemed to be studying Ryuto he kept looking up and down. "Then if you aren't, then what are you doing here you don't look like a student from this school." Ryuto said. "I'm looking for someone is all, just got caught up doing this." the blonde said as he walked towards Ryuto.

Ryuto had to admit he did have some kind of pretty boy swagger, which he hoped to get away from since he left the states. His team had finished talking and they looked towards the blonde amazed, Taiga had his usual hotheaded smirk. Ryuto knew what that meant.

"It's good to see you again." Kuroko said gesturing to the blonde. "Good to see you." the blonde replied. All eyes were on Kuroko now and the blonde. After a few moments the fangirls in the gym left and the blonde was only looking at Kuroko. "What are you doing here?" Hyūga asked startled. "When I heard our opponents were Seirin, I remembered that was the school where Kurokocchi went to, so I thought to come say hi. He was my best friend in middle school." the blonde said still only looking at Kuroko.

Kuroko replied with a rather blunt statement and made the blonde get emotional. Ryuto eventually realized that the blonde was that Kise the others had been talking about. Furihata started to read the article on him form the magazine, Ryuto was not interested so he decided to grab a ball and take some shots. Eventually Ryuto turned to see Kise facing off against Taiga in a one-on-one. Ryuto face palmed and walked towards the group watching. Before the one-one-one got started Ryuto walked over to Kise and grabbed the ball away from his hand. The entire court seemed on edge when Kise looked back towards Ryuto.

"Why the hell did you do that?" Kise asked irritated. "This one-on-one is unnecessary, I know your gonna beat Taiga." Ryuto said. "Well then how would you fare then?" Kise asked confidently. "I'll leave that for when we meet on the court." Ryuto said as he turned his back to Kise and threw the ball towards the basket without looking, the ball went into the basket nothing but net. "Thats just a small taste." Ryuto said with a smile.

Kise then turned to Kuroko with a smile. "Give us Kurokocchi. Come join us, lets play together again." he said. The gym let silent once agin. "I seriously respect you, it's a waste of your talent to stay here. What do you say?" Kise asked boldly. All eyes turned once again to Kuroko. "I'm honored to hear you say that. I must respectfully decline your offer." Kuroko answered while bowing.

Kise started to complain, he went on to say that winning was everything in middle school. When Ryuto heard this he scoffed, all of them must think a like.

"I made a promise to Kagami-kun, to beat you the Generation of Miracles." Kuroko said. "It's not like you to joke around." Kise said.

Behind him Kagami let out a small chuckle, Kise then turned to him. There was a tense air around the three of them, even the others could feel it. Ryuto made a mental note to comment on Taiga's hotheadedness. Eventually Kise left soon after that practice had ended, Ryuto noticed Taiga's expression; it was the same one he would have when he faced tough opponents in the States.

"Taiga I need to talk to you." Ryuto called to his friend. "What is it?" Taiga asked. Ryuto then swatted him on the back of the head. " _That was for being a dumb ass."_ Ryuto said in english. "Oh man when you speak english it really is serious." Taiga commented. "Get some sleep." Ryuto said as he walked away. Taiga stood there confused for a few moments then proceeded to walk.

Once Ryuto arrived to his home he sat down on the couch. Tomorrow was their game against Kaijo and the blondie. They were going to be tough, if what Ryuto saw in Kise was what he could do then it was going to be difficult to beat him.

 **AN: Here comes to a close the first chapter of this story hope you enjoyed it. Be sure to check back every so often, school is about to end so more time to write. Leave suggestions or ideas in the reviews and I'll try to add them in best I can. Remember to review, favorite, and/or follow.**

 **OC Stats:**

 **Name: Ryuto Rishihara**

 **Born: United States**

 **Age: 16**

 **Position: Point Guard, Center and Small** **Forward**

 **Abilities: Low Presence, Lightning Crossover, Half court + full court full speed drive(more abilities will come later)**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Here is a new chapter for this story. I hope your enjoying it. I noticed some people have followed and/or favorited this story, thanks guys. Brief Summary: Seirin vs. Kaijo. Remember I do not own Kuroko no Basket I only own the OC.**

Chapter 2

VS. Kaijo

The Seirin team walked into the Kaijo campus in awe at how massive it was. Everyone was describing how expansive everything was. Even Ryuto had to admit it looked like he was on a college campus back in the States.

"Damn this place looks like a small college campus in the States." Ryuto said in awe. "If thats what your going to compare it to, then it is really big." Hyūga replied.

They continued walking trying to find the basketball court. Then the entire team heard a voice coming from in front of them. Ryuto turned his head to find blondie, Kise, running towards them. Kise walked right up to Kuroko ignoring everyone else.

"I'm really disappointed you decided not to accept my offer." Kise said.

He continues to talk about somethings that are incomprehensible to Ryuto, who sighs at how much blondie talks. Kise then stood up and faced both Kagami and Ryuto with a mischievous smile.

"You two are the ones I'm most interested in, can't wait to play you today." Kise says. "Blondie if you're declaring a challenge then say it with more confidence, then the way your talking right now. You remind too much on someone I wanted to get away from in the States." Ryuto said with a stern face. "So aggressive," Kise said as he turned his back, "follow me to the court."

The team followed Kise to the court which on the outside looked massive. Once they entered Ryuto noticed that the court was divided in two one side for their practice game and the other for the other half of the team to practice. It made sense to Ryuto why they only set up half the court, but the rest of team seemed pretty pissed about it. Ryuto noticed their coach talking to Kaijo's. Ryuto only caught the ending of the conversation, which was what pissed him off more than anything.

"Did I hear that right, he said 'don't let us triple your score.'?" Ryuto said in the locker room. "Yeah he did we're all pretty pissed about it." Izuki said. "All right everyone gather around!" the coach yelled. "Here's the starting line-up: Hyūga you're shooting guard, Izuki point guard, Kagami power forward, Ryuto small forward, and Kuroko." the coach explained. Everyone nodded in agreement.

They headed out to find the other team waiting for them. Ryuto took a quick glance at the baskets and noticed the bolts holding them up were a bit rusty. _Better tell the team about the bolts_ Ryuto thought to himself, but the whistle to start the game sounded which stripped Ryuto from his thoughts. The teams met each other face to face. Ryuto could tell these guys were as good as they said they were, especially their point guard who kept a stern expression on his face. After a bow and hand shakes both teams set up to the game. Ryuto walked over to Kuroko and whispered into his ear.

"Start this off with a bang show them we aren't messing around, I already told Taiga he knows the plan." Ryuto said. "Ok." Kuroko replied.

The the ball was thrown into the air. Kaijo got the ball first as both teams set up Ryuto motioned to Kuroko and Kagami to do their play. Kaijo's point guard, Kasamatsu, was surveying Seirin's defense completely unaware at what was about to happen. Then Kuroko slapped the ball out of Kasamatsu's hand and Kagami darted to grab it. Kagami then jumped to dunk the ball, but on his way down the rim came with him. Ryuto stared wide eyed for a moment before walking over to Kaijo's coach who was about to blow a fuse. He looked at Ryuto with an angry look. His face changed to a surprised look when Ryuto bowed in front of him.

"I must apologize for what my teammate has done. I noticed the rusty bolts before the game, I should have said something but slipped my mind when the game stared. It's your choice if we play with the full court or use the other half." Ryuto said still bowing. "We can play full court, and thanks for giving me the heads up with the baskets have to get them fixed now." Kaijo's coach responded calming down. "Thank you for your kindness." Ryuto said as he stood up and walked back towards his team.

He walked over to Kagami who was still holding the rim, clearly amazed by what he did. Ryuto sighed deciding against scolding him until after the game ended. Once the game resumed Kise was put into the game, and about three seconds after he got into the court loud screaming was heard. Everyone looked back to find fangirls calling Kise's name. Ryuto face palmed that sight was all to familiar. He looked back up to find Kaijo's captain kicking Kise to get his head in the game. Ryuto shivered that was excessive in his opinion. When the game resumed Kaijo inbounded the ball which went directly towards Kise. Who went into a full sprint and dunked the ball, the same way Kagami did it, albeit with our breaking the rim. What Ryuto saw during the one-on-one just became reality, Kise could copy people's moves. The game continued at a fast pace, it was basically a grudge match against Kise and Kagami on who could make the better moves. Eventually Seirin called a time out to slow down the game, at Kuroko's request.

"Kuroko can I ask you something?" Ryuto asked. "Yes what is it?" Kuroko responded. "Kise can copy peoples exact movements right?" Ryuto asked. "Yes that is his ability." Kuroko said followed by a collective gasp by the rest of the team. "I see, so let me handle him." Ryuto said sternly. "No way I want him!" Kagami said. "Shut it Taiga you're in hot water with me already, let me handle blondie." Ryuto said. "Caoch!?" Kagami argued. "I'll let Ryuto handle him for now." the coach said. "Relax bud I got him all figured out." Ryuto said patting Kagami on the shoulder.

The game resumed with Seirin with the ball. Ryuto's mark was still Kaijo's over enthusiastic power forward, who was quite annoying. Ryuto motioned for Izuki to pass him the ball, when he receives it he positions himself looking at the basket. The center is looking at him to see if he can out maneuver his mark Ryuto smiles, he pump fakes which makes the power forward jump Ryuto then starts to dribble towards the basket. The center comes at him to try to stop his advance, but Ryuto comes to a complete stop and shoots a fade away that banks off the backboard into the basket. His teammates congratulate him on their way to defense with high-fives and pats on the back. Ryuto sees as Kaijo's captain passes the ball to Kise. Ryuto is now face to face with one of the Generation of Miracles.

"Thats was quite the move you pulled." Kise said. "Thanks but I don't need praise form you blondie." Ryuto replies. _Lets see if he tries to do the same thing I did_ Ryuto thinks to himself.

As expected Kise pump fakes and charges towards the basket. Ryuto smiles and turns around to knock the ball out of his hands form behind his back. _No foul good_ Ryuto thinks as he grabs the ball and runs for the basket. Ryuto feels Kise gain on him, he suddenly finds Kise right in front of him. Ryuto crosses over to right hand and then back to his left and in seconds he's under the basket with the ball going through the hoop. Ryuto looks back to find a wide eyed Kise. He jogs back to defense.

"Try and copy that blondie." Ryuto says as he passes Kise.

Kise turns to Ryuto and smiles. "If its a challenge you want it's a challenge you'll get." Kise says.

The game continues to be fast paced. Kuroko and Kagami's teamwork plus Ryuto's crossovers are knocking Kaijo off balance. During the fourth quarter the game is starting to get even more heated up. During the end of the third quarter Kise accidentally knocked Kuroko out which agitated Kagami, to replace him the coach put Mitobe in the original center. At the half way point of the fourth quarter Kuroko gets back up determined to finish the game, the coach lets him play for the final half of the fourth quarter. Kise continues to have problems with both Kuroko and Kagami's teamwork plus Ryuto. Ryuto receives the ball from Izuki, this time Kise is guarding him with Kasamatsu standing next him, it was a double team. Ryuto tsked at the double team it was going to be difficult to get out of it. Ryuto then notices Kuroko passing behind the double team, his low presence returned. Ryuto smiles and does a quick pass in between the legs of Kise to Kuroko to redirects it to Kagami, who dunks it in. The teams are now tied 98-98. Both teams are at their limits. Kaijo starts by inbounding the ball, once Kasamatsu makes it to the three point line he stops. Ryuto looks at the time, barely any left. _Looks I'm going to have to use that move_ Ryuto thinks. He then starts running towards Kasamatsu, Ryuto slaps the ball away form him much to everyone's surprise. Ryuto then picks up the ball and starts to sprint down the court, Ryuto then notices Kise right in front of him. Ryuto the crosses over to the left then once again to the right, the back to his left with a small movement forwards, crosses over once more to his right with a slight step forwards, which cause Kise to fall on the floor. Kise stares at Ryuto wide eyed as he passes by him and scores with the clock expiring as the ball hits the floor. The court is quite for a few moments, Ryuto looks back at Kise who is still on the floor with a look of disbelief on his face. He walks towards Kise and extends his hand to help him up.

"I thought someone like doesn't stay down." Ryuto says with a slight smile.

Kise lowers his head and grabs Ryuto's hand as he helps him stand.

"Your move is so similar to his." Kise says. "That's no surprise I taught it to him." Ryuto says this time with an actual smile and Kise has once again a face of disbelief.

Then Seirin roars in happiness at how they managed to defeat a really strong school that had a member of the Generation of Miracles on it. The five that were on the court lined up in front of they opponents and bowed saying: "Thanks for the game." Then they all shook hands. As Seirin left all the Kaijo players had the same question on their minds.

"Is he one of you Kise?" Kasamatsu asked. "Who the grey haired one?" Kise replies. "Yeah." Kasamatsu affirms. "No he isn't but he taught one of us, that probably makes him stronger than him." Kise says as they see Seirin leave the building.

Seirin kept cheering about their victory, commenting on all their good plays. Ryuto stood behind all of them thinking about someone in particular. He then looks forwards seeing everyone looking at him as if waiting for answers.

"Is there something troubling you guys?" Ryuto asked nervously. "What was that move you did at the end of the game?" the coach asked. "Oh that, it's just my ankle breaker." Ryuto said so as a matter of factly. "Well duh thats what it was, but what you said to Kise when you helped him up, whats up with that?" Hyūga asked. "Oh that…Thats not important." Ryuto said. "Well anyways I think we should go out to celebrate!" Koga says enthusiastically. "With what money?" the coach asked.

The whole team pulls out what they have which is not a lot. They all sigh and decide to walk home. But before they even went a few feet the coach stops them.

"Lets go get some steak!" she says.

Everyone stares at her wide eyed. Once they make it to the restaurant, Ryuto notices how stereotypically American the place looked.

"Jeez do all other countries think we're only cowboys?" Ryuto says. "Wait your not one?" Izuki asked. The whole team laughs at Ryuto who hides his face, which is red with embarrassment.

They all sit down and a few moments later their food was served. It was a large pice of meat, Ryuto notices as his teammates groan. They start to complain about the size of the meal. Deciding not to complain Ryuto starts to eat, he had to admit for being stereotypical American restaurant it served good food. As soon as Ryuto finished he noticed his team struggling to start. Then Kuroko excuses himself saying that he's full. Jumping at the opportunity Ryuto grabs his plate. He teammates look at him in shock.

"Can you even eat another?" Koga asks. "Well just this one I did't have lunch so I'm starving." Ryuto says as he finishes Kuroko's steak.

He also excuse himself to go to the bathroom. When he walks out of the bathroom he sees Kuroko leaving the building, curious he follows along. Once outside he notices Kuroko talking to Kise.

"Blondie, Kuroko what are you guys doing out here? Plus Kuroko if we don't get back coach is going to be pissed." Ryuto says. "Just a minute I'm having an important conversation with Kise." Kuroko says. "Well actually I also wanted to talk to you." Kise says gesturing to Ryuto. "Kagamicchi may not be able to beat the Generation of Miracles at this moment, but you certainly can Rishiharacchi." Kise says. "First off don't call me by my last name and second what makes you think I care about the whole Generation of Miracles nonsense. It's just a title you five use to think your on top of people, to be honest it makes me sick. And by the way call me Ryuto." Ryuto says. "Your probably right about us," Kise says staring into the sky, "so does that mean I can call you Ryutocchi?" "As long as I can call you Blondie, its cool." Ryuto said.

Both boys shake hands acknowledging each other. Ryuto turns to see Kagami calling his name. Ryuto motioned for him to come over.

"Coach is going to kill you two." Kagami says. "Relax I can calm her down, I hope." Ryuto says as he places his hand behind his head. "What going on over there?" Ryuto said pointing at the street ball court next to them. "Stupid bullies." Kagami says. "What hell is Kuroko doing?" Ryuto says as he sees him walk up to the bullies.

Eventually a game a street ball was played between the five bullies and a team consisting of Kise, Kuroko, and Kagami. Ryuto stayed back and let them do their butt kicking. Once the bullies realized they were defeated they ran off into the street.

"What the hell where you thinking?!" Kagami yelled to Kuroko. "Relax Taiga, Kuroko probably doesn't like bullies is all, right?" Ryuto asked. "Exactly." Kuroko answered. "What would you have done if it turned into a fight?" Kagami asked. "They would have ran away once they saw these guns." Kuroko said as he flexed not showing any type of abdominals.

Ryuto and Kise laughed as Kagami started scolding him. Eventually their laughter died down.

"Well it was fun playing with you again Kurokocchi and it was fun playing with you Kagamicchi." Kise says as he walked away. "What the kinda nickname is that?!" Kagami said frustrated. "He gives it to people he respects." Kuroko said.

This did not end up helping, Kagami went on a rant saying that he did not want a nickname. Ryuto laughed as the two friends bickered about pointless things.

"There you are!" a voice yelled.

Ryuto looked forwards and saw the coach running straight for them. She immediately headed for Kuroko first and put him in some kind of wrestling hold. Which looked like it was painful. Kuroko kept asking for help but no one came to his aid. Eventually Ryuto made it back to his house and sat down on the couch, he starts to drift off, but shakes himself awake. _I need a shower and some fresh clothes_ Ryuto thought to himself. As he walked into the shower and let the water rain down on him, he stood there for a few moments thinking. _I wonder what you're thinking right now cousin_ Ryuto says to himself. He exits the shower a lies down on his bed after putting on his pajamas. _Maybe I showed too much today, well no use moping about it now_ Ryuto thought as he turned off the lamp and went straight to sleep.

 **AN: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I realized it was short, but I'm working with someone to try and make them longer and more exciting, such as making the games seem more actiony. Or what might end up happening is that nongame chapters will be longer than game chapters. But thats what I have in mind. Remember to review, follow and/or favorite. Also any ideas you might have just write them in the reviews and I'll try my best to add them in.**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Here continues this story. Sorry it took so long I had finals at school so focused on that more than this. I hope you enjoy that chapter. I've been rewatching the show to remember certain events that happened and tweaking them to fit my charters perspective. I see new people have followed and/or favorited the story, thanks guys. Like I said before enjoy this new chapter.**

Chapter 3

Inter-High Begins

Ryuto woke up the next mooring quite lively, yesterdays game had him pumped up for the next opponents. _I remember my cousin and Satsuki's friend being strong, but so was this guy. I wonder how the others will be?_ Ryuto asked himself. As he walked out of his apartment to head over to school, he felt his cellphone ring in his pocket. Ryuto looked at the screen to find a name he was not expecting. He took a deep breath and answered it.

"It's been awhile hasn't it Seijūrō?" Ryuto answered. "It has Ryuto." Seijūrō responded.

Once Ryuto arrived at school all he could think about was his phone call with his cousin, Seijūro Akashi. His tone of voice was what pissed him off the most. He walked into first period and saw that both Taiga and Kuroko were fast asleep. Ryuto shrugged and ignored them both, his mind was too preoccupied with what his cousin talked about. Ryuto gritted his teeth his cousin was a real sly bastard. His mind raced around what he was talking about. _I don't expect your team to make it very far in Inter-High so try to at least make it past the preliminary tournament. Even with you on the team they can't compare to us_ those words raced through Ryuto's mind. Ryuto always knew that Seijūrō middle school team was strong, but using that to gloat really pissed Ryuto off. Eventually the bell for lunch rung and the basketball team gathered in front of the library.

"So you want us to get bread?" Kagami asked. "Yep its a sandwich that is really good the school only serves it on the 27th of each month." the coach said. She continued to describe how the sandwich looked.

"We beat Kaijo, and practice is going well. We're asking you to buy this to keep spirits up." Hyūga said. "However we aren't the only ones who want it. It tends to be a bit busier than usual." the coach said. "So all we have to get is bread? It'll be easy ma'am." Kagami said with a smirk. "Here the seconds years will be paying for this. Buy some for everyone while your at it. If you fail your training will be doubled" Hyūga said handing them an envelope.

Four of the six first years started to shutter. It was Hyūga's face what really scared them.

"I'll pass I have some stuff I need to take care of. Plus I brought my own lunch." Ryuto said walking away.

The whole team looked surprised as he walked away. Ryuto no longer had his usual cheerful expression it was now cold and unhappy.

"Is something wrong with him Kagami?" the coach asked. "I don't know to be honest. I've never seen him like that." Kagami said concerned.

On his way to his next class Ryuto passed by his fellow basketball first years. Their clothed looked very unkept, except for Kuroko.

"You guys all right?" Ryuto asked. "You made a good call not joining us to grab these. It was cray out there." Furihata replied. "We're going to the roof to meet the second years, wanna come with?" Fukuda asked. "No thanks." Ryuto said as he turned to away from them.

"Something's really wrong with him." Kawahara commented. The five first years all nodded in agreement.

When the school day finished, Ryuto headed for the court for practice. HIs mood had not changed since the morning, HIs cousins words still ringed his head. _I came to play basketball in Japan to knock some sense into you and one more person_ Ryuto thought to himself. He walked into the gym for practice to begin. At sunset the team gather to discuss how Inter-High worked. It was a tournament and only the top 1% made it into the finals.

"The school that we need to watch out for the most is Shutoku. Just like Kaijo they acquired a member of the Generation of Miracles." Hyūga commented.

The whole team gasped, the only word Ryuto was concerned about was Shutoku, it was the school Takao was going to. Kuoko explained to everyone that, like Kise, the member at Shutoku most defiantly improved since middle school. Ryuto already knew it was not either of his cousins, they went to Tōō and Rakuzan respectively.

"By the way where is the coach?" Tsuchida asked. "She went to observe our first opponent's practice game." Hyūga said.

Once he finished the door to the gym opened and out walked the coach.

"I'm back." she announced. "She was skipping before the Kaijo game, but she's not skipping today." Kawahara commented.

Furihata asked if she was going to skip, to which she responded with an angry glare. Hyūga then explained to them thats he would not act like that over an official game.

"Are they good?" Hyūga asked. "We shouldn't worry about Shutoku, looks like our first opponent isn't going to be easy." the coach explained. "What do you mean?" Hyūga asked. "One of their players might give us some trouble. You can see the video later right now just look at this picture." the coach said somberly.

After finding the first picture which was quite adorable, Hyūga pressed a button and another picture appeared. The team gasped at the picture, the person was huge.

"His name is Papa Mbaye Siki, he's an exchange student form Senegal. He's two meters tall and weighs 87 kilograms" the coach said.

The team gasped and started to comment on everything they just heard. Ryuto scoffed just be cause he was tall does not mean he was good.

"He's just tall." Kagami commented.

The team stayed silent for a few moments, they were still processing the information they just heard. Ryuto turned away from the team and grabbed a ball and started to shoot. His mind was not with the team at the moment so he did not care what they were talking about.

"Do you have any input Ryuto? You quite out of it if you ask me." the coach said to him.

Ryuto shot the ball and let it bounce as it went through the net. Right then turned to his team.

"There's only one thing I'm thinking about right now, and it doesn't concern a tall African dude." Ryuto said.

The team back away from him, his mood defiantly changed from the previous day.

"Hey man chill. Whats got you so worked up?" Kagami asked. "It's not what, it's who. If all we're going to do is sit around and talk about our how difficult out first opponent is going to be then I'm leaving." Ryuto said as he stormed out.

Everyone was taken back at how Ryuto acted nobody expected him to do what he just did.

"Someone needs to talk to him." the coach said.

Everyone froze, after what just transpired nobody wanted to get close to Ryuto. Even if it meant cheering him up.

"Somethings obviously putting him into a foul mood. He's never normally like this." the coach said. "I'll do it." Kuroko said. "Thanks Kuroko." the coach said.

Ryuto was walking out of the schools entrance when he felt a hand placed on his shoulder. He turned to see Kuroko staring at him, studying him. Ryuto still had the same facial expression he had when he stormed out of the gym.

"What's wrong Ryuto-kun?" Kuroko asked. "Family stuff thats all." Ryuto said as he turned his back. "I can tell its not that." Kuroko said. "It doesn't concern you, so butt out!" Ryuto yelled. "It concerns the team, everyone is worried about you. They've never seen you like this." Kuroko said.

Ryuto sighed, he did have a point. He never really wanted to make anyone worry about him. Ryuto turned back to face Kuroko. The two were silent for a few moments they just stared at each other.

"I'll tell you whats wrong." Ryuto said. "Thank you, I hope to be able to understand." Kuroko said concerned. "This morning I got a phone call from my cousin. I think you know him, Seijūrō Akashi." Ryuto explained. Kuroko's eyes widened in surprise. "You two are related?" Kuroko asked. "Yeah but not by blood. He's a distant cousin, but nonetheless still family." Ryuto explained. "What did he say?" Kuroko asked. "He taunted me like if he was above everyone else. It what pissed me off thinking he's on top of everyone. Thats one of the reasons I play basketball here in Japan, to knock some sense into him and one more person." Ryuto explained. "I see you could have just said that." Kuroko said. "My mind was still clouded by his taunting I wan't thinking straight." Ryuto said. "So then shall we return to the team they are waiting for us?" Kuroko asked. "I'll apologize tomorrow, I can't show my face yet I could see that they were scared of me." Ryuto answered. "Very well then see you tomorrow." Kuroko said as he turned to he head back to the gym. "Kuroko thanks, I needed to let it out." Ryuto said. "No problem." Kuroko said.

The next day during practice Ryuto looked through the window of the gym. He sighed as he watched the practice. He had to apologize but he had no idea how to do it. Ryuto heard the whistle blow signaling a water break. Ryuto took a deep breath and opened the door to the gym, he looked up to find everyone staring at him. There was silence between all of them no one said a word.

"I'm sorry about yesterday." Ryuto said breaking the silence. "Care to explain why so seemed to angry?" the coach asked. "Family troubles, mainly with one of my cousins. His personality leaves something to be desired." Ryuto answered.

He looked up to see everyone was still staring at him. Many thoughts raced through his head, most of them involved if they would welcome him back.

"If you would have told us that before we could have understood better." Hyūga said. "I was blinded by anger I couldn't think straight, I'm sorry for anything I may have caused." Ryuto said bowing. "All right then pick yourself up and come practice, we got a tough game and we're going to need you?" Hyūga said. "Yes sir." Ryuto said as he went to get changed.

Practice continued like normal for the day leading up to their first official game of Inter-High. The coach created specific training regimens for some people and practices are always intense. As the days passed Ryuto began to forget what his cousin had said to him, he decided to turn what he said into a challenge. _Just you wait Seijūrō you'll just how strong this team is_ Ryuto thought to himself. The training did not stop until the day before the game where the team went over strategies. Ryuto smiled if they won they would be one step closer to being at the top. The day of the first game arrived everyone was pumped, even though Ryuto noticed Taiga's lack of sleep. They entered the court and started to practice some simple jump shots and layups. Ryuto looked at his jersey he wore number 14. The team was wondering where the player from Senegal was, who was nicknamed "Dad." A few moments later a metal thud was heard, everyone looked back to find the player form Senegal. _Dang this guy is pretty tall_ Ryuto thought to himself.

"Ryuto come over here for a sec." the coach called to him. "Whats up?" Ryuto asked. "Today Mitobe is going to start we need the extra height." the coach said. "OK sure. Whenever you feel like you need to put me in do so." Ryuto said as he wasted back to practice.

After a few more minutes the game began. After "Dad" made his first point Kagami locked him down for the rest of the quarter. Thanks to Kuroko the team was able to get the drop on their opponents scoring play after play. Eventually the first quarter ended with Seirin in the lead 23-8.

"Good work you guys. Kuroko in order to preserve your ability sit out for a bit. Ryuto your going to sub him." the coach said. "Got it." Ryuto said. "Don't let them catch up, but that all depends on how well Kagami can guard "Dad." the coach said.

The the second quarter started. Without Kuroko Shinkyo started to get some more points. The team did not seem worried as Kagami was able to shut down "Dad" once again. But to Ryuto, and the coach too, something seemed off. _He's trying too hard to block him_ Ryuto thought. The game continued with Seirin with the advantage the whole game. When Ryuto got the ball he never had to use any of his moves, but to show off a little bit he used another move he had not shown yet a drive that he went down the court at full speed, no one was able to stop it. With five minutes left in the fourth Kuroko was put back in for Ryuto. Even with him out of the game Seirin still had the advantage. With only a few more seconds left to play Kagami was able to finally block "Dad," and when the ball when out of bounds the final buzzer rung. Seirin had won their first game of Inter-High 79-67. The next game against Jitsuzen was won smoothly and neither Kuroko or Ryuto played the game and Seirin won with a score 118-58. The next game went smoothly as well, the coach was a bit surprised at this. Ryuto looked to his side to find Kuroko getting a bit restless.

"You want to play don't you?" Ryuto asked. "Yes, I do." Kuroko responded. "You'll get your chance, we both will." Ryuto said with a smile.

The next opponent was the bullies form after the Kaijo game, but they were so sacred of Kuroko and Kagami that they did not play very well. Another smooth victory, 108-41. Everyone seemed to be excited on how well the team was doing, even Ryuto had to admit they were doing well. Hyūga went on to explain how three team always made it the farthest, those teams were Senshinkan High, Seiho High, and Shutoku High. He continued by saying that Shutoku had the Generation of Miracles member Midorima Shintaro. Everyone gasped at how they managed to get a player like him on their team. Kawahara tried to cheer them up by saying that they got far last year but it did not work as Hyūga went to to say that they did not stand a chance. The team stayed quite for a few moments, when they started to hear murmurs around them. Ryuto looked up and smiled it was his friend, plus his team. Ryuto stood up to greet him.

"Ryuto where are you going?" Izuki asked. "Going to say hi to a friend." Ryuto said as walked towards Shutoku.

"Hey Tao whats up buddy?" Ryuto said as he walked over to his friend. "No way Ryu-chan I did not expect to find you here." Tao said as he fist bumped his friend. "So this is your team right?" Ryuto asked. "Yep this is it." Tao said with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you all Tao has told me a lot about you guys." Ryuto said. "And he's said a lot about you, Ryuto Rishihara." a tall with pointed up brown hair. "You didn't call me by my last name?" Ryuto asked puzzled. "I told that if they ever meet you to call you by your first name." Tao said. "Thanks bud." Ryuto said. "I'm Ōtsubo the captain of this team, and is it true you considered coming to Shutoku." Ōtusbo asked. "Pleasure to meet you, and yes I did, but I ended up going to Seirin 'cause it was closer to my house." Ryuto said. "Well it was nice meeting you, hope to meet you on the court." Ōtsubo said. "Like wise." Ryuto responded.

The team walked away leaving only Takao and Ryuto and a tall person with green hair and glasses.

"So uhh tall, dark, and green who are you?" Ryuto asked. "Midorima Shintaro." Midorima answered. "Well then its good to meet you, so your the interesting player Tao was talking about." Ryuto said. "I must be." Midorima responded as he walked away. "Chatty guy." Ryuto said. "Well it was nice to see you again, I'm sure we'll meet on the court." Tao said. "Yeah defiantly." Ryuto said as he walked back to his team.

Seirin headed to the stands to spectate Shutoku's game. When they all quickly realized that Shutoku was not going to loose. Ryuto looked at both his friend and Midorima. Takao has become a solid point guard and so far Midorima had not done anything impressive. But all them were thrown for a loop when Midorima shot a three with an incredibly high arc. Ryuto knew it was going in and he already had a counter for that type of shot.

"That shot has to be impossible to counter." Furihata commented. "It's really not." Ryuto said. Everyone gasped and looked at Ryuto. "How so?" the coach asked. "I have to try it out to be sure." Ryuto said not taking his eyes away from the game.

The game ended with Shutoku's win, not that anyone was surprised. As Mirdorima walked back to his bench he looked up towards Seirin, obviously looking at Kuroko. Then Takao followed waving and smiling to which Ryuto waved and smiled back. The team walked out into the hall with Hyūga saying it's time to head home.

"You idiot! We still have one game left!" the coach yelled. "I know I was saying that to lighten the mood." Hyūga said defensively. "We have another game?" Kagami asked. Ryuto the swatted him on the back of the head. "Yes we do did you even see the bracket." Ryuto said handing him the paper. "We don't play either of the kings until next round, which we play the semifinals and finals in a row." Kagami said.

Everyone seemed to groan at the thought of playing to games in a row, saying that it was tiring. The first years tried to get Kuroko and Ryuto on their side to no avail.

"I'm actually excited that we get to play two games in a row." Kuroko said. "Same here, it's times like these where your spirit gets pushed to the limit." Ryuto said. "Didn't our middle school coach say that?" Kagami asked. "Yeah he did, but you didn't have to say that, the rest don't know that." Ryuto said.

The rest of the team laughed. Ryuto thought about playing two tough teams in a row. One of those teams was Tao's team and they looked really good. Tomorrow was going to be a tough one for sure Ryuto thought to himself.

 **AN: And here comes to a close this chapter. I dragged out two episodes of the show to make another non-game chapter. Lets be honest the only important games of the Inter-High prelims are the last two. This chapter also showcased the OC's relationship with Akashi more and friendship with Takao. I'll get to Aomine soon enough. Remember to follow, review, and/or favorite. IF you have any ideas write them in the reviews or send me a PM I'll try to incorporate it into the story. One thing about that though, if it's a paring I don't do that I feel that hinders my writing cuz I have to focus on that sometimes more than the actual story, I'll most likely drop romantic interests here and there but nothing of that is going to actually happen. Sorry if that pisses anyone off but thats the way I write. Stay tuned for the next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Here starts new chapter. I know it took me awhile to upload it, I've procrastinating a lot. I'll try to upload more often. I hope my action writing has improved a bit, and if not leave any way I could improve. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Remember I do NOT own Kuroko no Basket, I only own the OC.**

Chapter 4

Vs. Seiho

After sitting out for most of the games of the tournament Ryuto was starting to get a bit restless. His legs would twitch from time to time, and he was getting really jittery. After the two games yesterday the team seemed really sore and tired out. Even with that Kagami was still eating a lot at lunch.

"Do you really have to eat all of that?" Ryuto asked. "I'm tired and hungry after yesterday. Who are you to talk, you haven't even played." Kagami responded. "If it's of any concern I'm sore as well." Kuroko said.

Kagami and Ryuto looked back at their teammate who was only eating a small sandwich and a juice.

"You need to eat more Kuroko, that can't be enough." Ryuto said. "He's right." Kagami agreed.

Kagami then started to stretch as he finished his comment. A few moments later all three of them head a voice calling their names.

"Kagami-kun, Kuroko-kun, and Ryuto-kun can you come over here please." the voice call out.

The three boys turned to see the coach standing the the doorway holding two boxes. Ryuto got up the fastest and grabbed both of the boxes, they were not all that heavy.

"Thanks Ryuto-kun." the coach said. "It's not a problem. I got this guys, rest up." Ryuto said to Kagami and Kuroko.

"Gameplay DVD's what for?" Ryuto asked. "It's so we can review, both Seiho and Shutoku, but it's mostly Seiho games." the coach answered. "Ok then. Where are we taking them?" Ryuto asked. "To the locker room." the coach said.

They continued walking down the hallways until they made it to the locker room. Ryuto placed the boxes down, he wiped his forehead even if he was not sweating. The day went by normally, and practice went by smoothly. Everyone seemed on edge about the coming games, everyone knew that they were going to be tough. And playing back-to-back against two strong teams was not going to be a walk in the park. As Ryuto walked back to his apartment he felt his phone buzz. He took it out of his pocket and saw that his cousin was calling him.

"Hey Satsuki, whats up?" Ryuto asked. "I heard your team has made it pretty far in the preliminary tournament." Satsuki answered. "Yeah we have, to be honest I haven't played all that much. Starting to get a bit restless." Ryuto said. "I bet. Our team is pretty much breezing through." Satsuki said. "Has he gone to any of the games?" Ryuto asked. "No he hasn't." Satsuki answered. "I'm pretty sure if we end up playing you guys he'll show." Ryuto said. "To play you probably." Satsuki replied. "Yeah no doubt. Talk more later I gotta watch some game film." Ryuto said. "Ok then, hope we can see each other before the court." Satsuki replied as she hung up.

 _She's still as talkative as ever_ Ryuto thought to himself. He walked into his apartment and got prepared to head to sleep, tomorrow was going to be a long day. The next day the team sat together to watch the the video of Seiho, Ryuto had seen a different video, but their play style was still the same. After the video ended the room was quite for a few moments, until Izuki spoke.

"We already knew, but this is going to be tough." Izuki commented. "Sorry, but I feel like crying again." Koga said sheepishly. "Frankly, we'd loose nine times out of ten against against Seiho and Shutoku. We just have to bring that one win to out games." the coach said enthusiastically. "Hey listen," Hyūga started to say, "I wouldn't go so far as to call it a strategy, but I have an idea."

The day passed and the team headed for the court to get ready for the game. As they practiced, Kagami kept looking towards Shutoku as they practiced. Ryuto could tell even if he looking at Midorima his mind was on the current objective, but Hyūga did not think so and proceeded to scold him. Kagami proceeded to study Seiho, something Ryuto was not expecting. Ryuto studied Seiho as well, something was off about them but Ryuto could not figure it out. Furihata then commented on how normal they looked while they practiced, just about everyone was curious about them and scared. The coach went on to explain their key players, which were their third year captain, Iwamura Tsutomu and Kasuga Ryūhei.

"You're Kagami-kun, aren't you?" a voice asked directed at Kagami.

He looked back to find find Seiho's bald first year, looking at him with glee.

"Your hair's so red! Scary! Captain, this is the guy right?" the boy called out.

Kagami seemed irritated at the boy's demeanor. Quite frankly to Ryuto as well, he was one of those people who speaks without thinking.

"Seirin's really weak, but they have one strong guy!" the boy called out.

Ryuto looked over to his coach who was about to blow a fuse with that comment. Ryuto was about to walk over to the boy when he saw Seiho's captain walking over.

"Quit messing around, you idiot." he said punching him on the back of the head. "Sorry about that. This guy can't read situations so he just says what he's thinking."

"You don't need to apologize," Hyūga started to say, "we are going to win. If you look down on us like you did last year, you'll end up in tears."

"That won't happen. Besides, we weren't looking down on you. You were just weak, that's all." the captain said rather bluntly.

The two walked back to their side arguing, while the Seirin looked at them with distaste. As the warmup period ended both teams headed for their locker rooms. Seirin sat in silence for a while, everyone was rather gloomy. Ryuto noticed the coach studying them, no doubt trying figure out a way to cheer them up. She them clapped her hand gaining everyone's attention.

"You all seem a bit too uptight," she started to say, "I thought of a reward to cheer you up."

Ryuto's eyes widened he knew, more or less, where this was going. The manager of his middle school team would do the same whenever the team seemed gloomy. She would try to cheer them up but all she would end up doing was embarrassing herself.

"If you win the next game-" the coach started to say in a weird pose. "Before you embarrass yourself in front of us, I got something that could cheer you guys up, maybe." Ryuto said cutting the coach off.

The coach sighed in relief at Ryuto's intervention. Ryuto smiled and turned to the team, everyone was looking at him.

"I know we have a tough game up ahead, forget about the end goal for a moment and look at the current obstacle. We're facing a team thats known as a king, wouldn't it feel good to beat a team like that knocking them down from their throne? And if we loose we loose. Don't get me wrong it'll suck, big time, but a loss doesn't have to feel so painful. It can be way to find out where you went wrong and fix it for next time. And if we win well we feel glad to have over come such an obstacle and look towards the future." Ryuto said with a determined look on his face.

The team looked at him in awe, nobody seemed on edge anymore. Everyone was pumped up for the game.

"Ryuto's right. We lost to Seiho last time by large deficit. So much so that we considered to quit basketball altogether, but we pulled ourselves up. Now we are here to win this and move on to the future, Ryuto said." Hyūga said also with a determined look.

The team did their chant _Seirin, fight!_ and headed out towards the court to play their toughest game yet. Ryuto looked a how inspired his teammates were, they were all ready for the game. As they walked onto the court a new game was about to played and Ryuto was sure that the were going to win. Both teams starting squads were standing in a line in front of each other, everyone had a determined look on their faces, both teams wanted to win. The announcer announced both teams, as soon as he finished the ball was thrown for the jump ball and the game commenced. Four minutes had passed in the game and Seiho had a 12-0 lead, Ryuto sat on the bench and gritted his teeth. He studied the opponent their rhythm was different from normal players, their movements had more flow to them. Their defense was the toughest part to beat, Seiho really had the best defense in the country. Kagami was struggling with the bald Seiho player trying go around him, Izuki moved behind him asking for the ball. Once he received it he went for a layup, but was stopped by Seiho's captain. The team was really struggling to get a point and without scoring the team would have trouble getting it's gears moving. Then the bald player made a comment, which clearly pissed Kagami off and he pushed right past the bald player drawing a charging foul. Ryuto face palmed at Kagami's recklessness, his hotheadedness was affecting the whole team. Even passing was a problem, without Kuroko to set up plays with his passes scoring was made even more difficult. The coach called a timeout so the starting five could sit down at take a breather before the coach explained anything.

"They use old martial arts techniques in their play style." the coach explained. "Old martial arts, you mean like this?" Kagami said flailing his arms around. "It's not a Bruce Lee movie Taiga." Ryuto said. "They use a something called namba running, it's where your arms and legs move in sync with each other. But they will fall for fakes, so try to catch them off balance. Luckily we have someone who can really throw people off balance." the coach said looking at Ryuto. "I'll use my crossover, but not my ankle breaker thats something I'm saving for someone else." Ryuto said. "Fine. Switch with Mitobe-kun Ryuto-kun." the coach said. "Got it." Ryuto said.

The timeout ended with Ryuto starting this time, he could murmurs in the stands about how could they possibly beat Seiho's defense. Ryuto smiled the stands were in for a surprise. Izuki passed him the ball and stood at the three point line dribbling with his right hand. The person guarding him was Seiho's captian.

"Do you really think you can get past me, with such bad dribbling?" he asked. "Well how about I show you." Ryuto said.

He slowed down his dribbling and waited for the key to open a small window. Ryuto then saw his window and smiled he moved the ball to his left hand, and just as he did against Kaijo, Ryuto was under the basket in seconds with ball going into the hoop then bouncing on the ground. The crowd was silent as the ball bounced on the floor, then the was an explosion of voices ranging from: "What was that?" to "How did he do that?" Seirin patted Ryuto on the back congratulating him on scoring their first point. Ryuto looked back to find Seiho's captain pissed. For Ryuto the game was just getting started. Even with Ryuto's point and a few more Serin still could not pick up steam. Kagami now had three fouls and Kuroko was struggling to get his passes off. Then Kuroko had a conversation with the bald boy from Seiho who made comment that made everyone's blood boil. With that Seirin found what was necessary to find it's pace. Kuroko was now able to find find openings in their defense to make accurate passes to people. The first quarter ended with both teams tied 19-19. At the end of the quarter Seiho's captain walked up to Seirin apologizing for what the bald boy had said. Hyūga responded by saying that the loss to them last year was their drive to win. During the quarter intermission the coach went over how to keep progressing.

"This game is just getting started! Keep the same formation! You're being lead around by their passes too much, so tighten your zone. Also, Kagami, you have a lot of fouls. If you just timidly match your opponents, they'll control the flow of the game. Remember to attack!" the coach finished explaining.

As the team acknowledged they headed back onto the court to start the second half. Then Ryuto was called over by the coach to talk privately.

"After this quarter I'm going to sit you out for the rest of the game." she said sternly. "Might I ask why?" Ryuto asked. "So if we win you can be a more or less full strength against Shutoku." she answered. "Makes sense. I'll trust your judgement." Ryuto said as he jogged back to his teammates on the court.

The announcer announced the start of the second quarter and it had begun. Once it began Ryuto noticed an immediate change in their man-to-man defense, they were a lot closer now. The rest of the team began to notice as well. The opponent decided to go full strength in this quarter. Once Kagami was passed the ball he had trouble shaking off his defender. Ryuto could see Kuroko coming in from behind the bald boy, Kagami passed the ball through his legs to Kuroko. Who passed back to Kagami, once he was stopped in his tracks by Seiho's captain he passed the ball once again to Kuroko, who proceeded to alley-ooped to Kagami, who then dunked it in. The bald boy looked surprised at the maneuver while the crowd was amazed at the play. Ryuto went over to congratulate his friend for the play, but he noticed something off about him. He seemed too tired out for only the second quarter, Kagami was overexerting himself by playing so aggressive. Instead Ryuto patted him on shoulder. During Seirin's next possession of the ball, it was give almost immediately to Kagami. This time the defense on him was not as close as before. Ryuto saw Kagami square up for a dunk, but Ryuto realized what was about to happen.

"Taiga wait!" Ryuto yelled but his words landed on deaf ears.

As he went up Kagami pushed the bald boy down drawing his fourth foul. Ryuto gritted his teeth, he should have known something like this was going to happen. Ryuto then saw the coach walk up to the scorekeepers, no doubt wanting to make a substitution.

"I'd like to make a substitution." the coach asked.

Kagami spun around trying to argue that he would play calmer. He then turned to Hyūga, who explained the situation to him.

"This actually works out perfectly. We were planning on switching you, Kuroko, and Ryuto out after the first half ended. We made this decision because you three are the key to defeating Midorima. Even if we win this game we need a strategy to beat Midorima and Shutoku for out next game. As we predicted Shutoku is already conserving Midorima's strength. We can't win if you three are spent." Hyūga explained.

Kagami tried to argue that if they lost this game Shutoku would not even matter, but Hyūga stopped him and continued talking.

"We know it's a gamble. But if we can conserve you three or atlas two we'll have a slim chance at beating Shutoku and reaching the championship league." Hyūga.

Kagami once again began to argue that even if they were tired they would still find a way to be Midorima.

"Kagami, let's do as they say." Kuroko said. "I agree the coach told me this already, but hearing it from the captain makes even more sense." Ryuto added. "You too." Kagami said sadly.

As they finished explaining, the coach brought in Koga and Tsuchida in for Kuroko and Kagami. While Ryuto would finish the quarter. The game continued with a fast pace Ryuto was core scorer of the team until he was subbed out at halftime. The score was still close thanks in part Izuki's ability to coordinate play's plus the skills the seniors had polished for a year. Ryuto was impressed at their teamwork, playing together one really gets to know your team. Ryuto felt as if he was transported back to middle school with his old team.

 _Flashback(Ryuto's flashbacks are in english, you know what I mean)_

"Great teamwork today guys." Ryuto said to his team. "Damn right captain!" one player said excitedly. "Yeah but don't get mushy on us." another said. "Why do you have to be so cold? Wait that's a great nickname for you, COLD!" another said excitedly.

The one now dubbed Cold rolled his eyes and walked away. The team laughed at the new nickname their teammate got. Ryuto looked towards his team it may be his first and only year as captain, but he was going to make the most of it.

"All right everyone gather around!" a voice called out. "We'll be right over coach!" Ryuto said. "Come on guys." Ryuto called out to his teammates.

The team gathered around the coach he brought a white board with him in order to explain the game plan for their next game. He explained everyone's role for this game even those who were not starting.

"Does everyone understand what they're going to do?" the coach asked. "Yeah!" everyone responded. "Great now play a scrimmage against each other as a final drill." the coach said adjusting his glasses.

The team separated into two groups of five, with Ryuto being the captain of one team and the other was a boy with brown hair and green-brown eyes.

"Why is Taiga on your team? Thats so not fair Ryuto!" one boy complained. "You said I could get first pick so I chose him, now deal with it." Ryuto said.

As the teams set themselves up for the start of the scrimmage, the coach threw the ball signaling the start of the game.

 _End Flashback_

Ryuto looked back towards the court to see his seniors, Ryuto could see his old team in them. Then Ryuto was broken out of his stroll down memory lane, when Koga came bursting to the bench trying to get a loose ball. He then tripped on the bench and landed on the back of his head. Ryuto looked at his senior who was clearly dazed. The coach then turned to everyone with a grim look on her face.

"He'll have to be subbed out." the coach said. "Let me go, please! I can't just sit around anymore!" Kagami pleaded. "NO! Did you forget the whole reason why you're resting?" Hyūga said. "But-" Kagami started to say but was cut short by Kuroko. "I agree someone with four fouls should not be put in." Kuroko said. "Why Kuroko…" Kagami said irritated.

Kaagmi then started to squeeze his head. Ryuto sighed and walked towards his friend and swatted him on the back of the head.

"Calm the hell down. You have four fouls one wrong move and you'll be thrown out of the game. To be honest you're still tired out from pushing your self, also you Kuroko." Ryuto said.

The bench remained silent for a a few moments. Everyone was trying to process how quickly Ryuto calmed everyone down.

"Ryuto's right. So I'm putting him in. We're halfway through the fourth quarter and he knows how to conserve energy." the coach said. "Got it." Right said.

He walked towards his teammates that were waiting for him on the court. He looked back at Kagami, who was still frustrated at not being put into the game. _He must really want that payback to baldy_ Ryuto thought.

" _Hey Taiga!_ " Ryuto called out in english.

Kagami looked towards him in surprise, he only english to him when he was angry. But his face showed no sign of anger.

" _I'll beat baldy for you._ " Ryuto said with a smile. "Go for it." Kigali said.

Ryuto looked towards the bald boy who appeared saddened for not being able to play against Kagami. _This guy's a real handful_ Ryuto thought.

"They brought in you instead of Kagami, this sucks." the bald boy said. "I'll be more than enough for you." Ryuto replied.

The bald boy called to one of his teammates asking to change his marks from Izuki to Ryuto. HIs senior ultimately agreed to change marks, so now Ryuto was being guarded by the bald boy. Ryuto got into his position on offense and standing in between him and the basket was the bald boy.

"If they put you in, a first year, that means your seniors must be really desperate." the bald boy commented. "It's true they are a small bit desperate." Ryuto said as he received that ball.

He then started to dribble with his right hand, he was wide open all the way to the basket. Ryuto smiled, he then crossed over to his left and disappeared from in front of his mark. The bald boy had a face of confusion as he saw Ryuto score a lay up completely unguarded. As he landed Ryuto looked back at the bald boy.

"But they put faith in me to continue playing for someone else. I respect those types of people, so I respect my seniors." Ryuto said as he jogged back to defense.

As Seiho's captain brought down the ball he passed to the point gaurd, but the pass was intercepted by Hyūga. Who fast breaked towards the basket but was cutoff by one of Seiho's players. He then made a quick pass to Ryuto, who was open for a shot, but was loosely guarded by the bald boy. Instead of taking a shot Ryuto passed it to Mitobe who scored a lay up.

"Why didn't you shoot, you were open?" the bald boy asked. "Because this game means more to my seniors than it does to me." Ryuto said as he got back to defense.

The game dragged on with Seirin on the offensive. They have only allowed Seiho to score a few points in the fourth quarter. Even if the whole point of putting Ryuto in was to have Kagami and Kuroko sit out longer to rest, Ryuto was starting to get tired himself. Seirin had managed to take the lead with 29 seconds left, the score was 70-69, a one point game. Ryuto panted and wiped sweat off his forehead. Hyūga then walked over and patted him on the shoulder.

"If you need a rest, you can take one." he said calmly. "I want to finish this game." Ryuto said determined.

Once Seirin made it back to defense Seiho came barreling through the defense and their captain scored a dunk, taking the lead. The crowd was sent into a frenzy. The captain yelled that it would take then years before Seirin could beat Seiho. When Serin went to inbound the ball Seiho set up a full court man to man. Ryuto was guarded by a determined looking bald boy. Once they managed to inbound it Izuki passed it to Mitobe, who then passed it back. Izuki then saw Ryuto open a passed it to him, before he could place the ball on the ground the bald boy appeared in front of him. Ryuto tsked, he then squared up to take a jump shot. When he jumped he saw Hyūga next to him waiting for a pass. Ryuto readjusted his hands to have his left hand on the same side of the ball as his right and passed it Hyūga. As he landed back on the ground he faced the bald boy.

"I'm not the one who is supposed to make the final point, that job belongs to my seniors." Ryuto said as Hyūga released the ball.

As the ball flew through the air, it felt like everything was in slow motion. The clock ticked down the final seconds as the ball flew. Everyone was looking at ball no bothered to set up a box out. Ryuto could feel that the ball was indeed going to make it to the hoop. The ball did go in, with a noting but net. The clock timer expired just as the ball went through. For a few seconds the court was silent, then it erupted in excitement as the referee blew the whistle. The bench jumped up in happiness while the ones on the court celebrated with each other. The game had ended 73-71 Seirin had won. Ryuto smiled at his teammates and was patted on back by Hyūga.

"Nice pass. And to be honest I thought you were going to take the shot." Hyūga admitted. "Well I was, but I saw you and decided that you were the one who should take the winning shot." Ryuto said with a smile.

As Seirin celebrated, the bald boy started to yell saying that loosing to a team that just recently formed was impossible. Everyone turned to him with stern looks on their faces. The Seiho's captain placed his hand on the boy's shoulders.

"Enough Tsugawa, the strong don't win. It's winning that makes you strong. And they won." he said calmly yet with a disappointed tone.

The captain walked away leaving the boy with perplexed look on his face. Seirin walked back towards their bench to head to the locker room. But they were stopped by a voice calling out.

"You! Who are you?" he asked gesturing to Ryuto. "Excuse me?" Ryuto asked. "Your name?" he asked again. "I'm Ryuto Rishihara." Ryuto answered. "I'll remember it. I defiantly won't forget." he said. "Right then." Ryuto said.

Both teams lined up at the center of the court. The referee announced the winners of the game and both teams thanked each other and bowed. The team walked back to the bench and Ryuto noticed the coach getting emotional and tapped Hyūga on the shoulder.

"Yeah?" Hyūga asked.

Ryuto then pointed at the coach not saying a word.

"Why me? Your better with words." Hyūga argued.

Ryuto just kept pointing with a sterner look on his face.

"Fine." Hyūga said and walked over to her.

Behind them a whistle was heard signaling the end of a game. Ryuto looked back and saw that Shutoku had decimated their opponent. He saw the team walk off the court and then saw Midorima looking straight a Kuroko and Kagami. Ryuto waved to his friend, Takao, as he walked off into the dark hallway. Seirin headed back into their locker room and started to stretch and keep warm since another game was up next. The coach was giving instructions on what to replenish on and how to stay warm. Ryuto sat on the bench and just started at his left hand, he looked back to the final pass he made against Seiho. _Normally a pass like that is impossible, I should've taken that shot_ Ryuto thought to himself. He looked away from his hand and found the coach staring at him.

"Something the matter?" Ryuto asked. "Yeah you. You look very pensive." the coach said. "Can I talk to you in private for a second?" Ryuto asked. "Sure but make it quick." the coach said.

The two walked outside the locker room and stood in front of the door.

"What is it?" the coach asked impatiently. "Ok, straight to the point. That pass I made to Hyūga in the final seconds of the game shouldn't have happened." Ryuto said. "What do you mean?" the coach asked with a confused look on her face. "Well normally someone set up to take a shot they're supposed to take it, but I passed it." Ryuto said. "I don't understand." the coach said. "How do I explain this…Well I went for the shot but before I jumped everything around me blurred. All I could see was the hoop, the ball and Hyūga out of the corner of my eye. Then I moved my left hand to pass it to him. Seconds later my vision was back to normal." Ryuto explained.

The coach put her hand to her chin, clearly thinking about something. Ryuto had no idea what it was or could even make sense out of it.

"If it happens again, tell me about it. For now there's nothing I can describe what you were feeling." she said as she entered back into the locker room.

Ryuto sighed. He shoot the thoughts about what he did out of his head and focused on the next game, which was going to be the toughest today. He opened the door of the locker room and walked back in.

 **AN: And here end the fourth chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and expect another soon(maybe). I put in the flashback as way to understand the OC more. Next chapter things get real intense. Side note: In order to keep things linear with the original story certain things are going to happen for that reason, Seirin is still going to loose against Too but for another reason(maybe not). Remember to review, follow, and/or favorite if your've enjoyed. If you have any suggestions leave in the reviews or message me.**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: New chapter is finally up! Sorry for taking so long it's just that work leaves me burnt out and all I want to to is rest. Anyways here we got another long chapter, I hope you enjoy it. Remember I do not own Kuroko no Basket, I only own my character.**

Chapter 5

Vs. Shutoku

As Seirin walked out onto the court Ryuto could see that the entire stands were filled with people. Ryuto shuddered a bit, his nerves were kicking in at seeing so many people. The starting players huddled around each other. The starters consisted of: Kuroko, Izuki, Kagami, Hyūga, and Ryuto. Ryuto could hear Shutoku getting pumped up for the gam, all the while his team looked like they all needed a nap.

"I'm beat." was the first thing Hyūga said in the huddle.

Ryuto fought the urge to face palm at the lack of enthusiasm.

"I've been feeling melancholy since this morning. We've got two games in a row, both against kings. And even while playing Seiho, all I could think about was playing another game after we beat them. But there's only one game left. We don't have to worry about bothersome crap like the next game or reserving our energy. We can focus on the one thing we have to do! Give everything we have until we can't give any more!" Hyūga finished.

His final words were what got everyone rolling. However, in the speeches department the captain needed some work Ryuto thought. As the starters walked onto the court Ryuto patted Hyūga on the shoulder.

"That was quite the speech, the beginning sucked but the ending was good." Ryuto said jokingly.

"Like you can give a better one." Hyūga replied. "But I did for the Seiho game, remember?" Ryuto said. "I guess you're right, anyways focus on whats in front of you!" Hyūga said.

The whistle blew for both teams to meet each other face to face. Ryuto looked towards Kagami, who was surprisingly quiet. He then looked towards Kuroko who was having a conversation with Midorima, all Ryuto caught from overhearing them was Midorima criticizing Kuroko and his decisions. Kuroko responded that Seirin will not loose, which made Ryuto smile. The teams lined up face to face, and Ryuto was met by a blonde third year. The referee introduced the two teams before they set themselves up for the jump ball. The air was tense on the court, everyone knew what this game meant for their respective teams. Mirdorima then commented about Kagami, which then spurred into a form of an argument. Ryuto sighed and walked towards Takao, who obviously set that up.

"As sly as always, Tao." Ryuto commented. "I have no idea what you're talking about Ryu-chan." Takao said defensively. "Anyways, I'm here to tell you that from now on we're enemy's. Until the game ends that is." Ryuto said. "Funny I was about to say the same to you." Takao said with a smile.

As the two parted ways, Ryuto walked towards Kagami, who had his usual smirk when he was facing a strong opponent.

"I'm marking Midorima." Ryuto said. "Whaaa!" Kagami answered confused. "You heard me." Ryuto said. "Did you not just hear what I said to him?" Kagami argued. "He's right, Kagami." Hyūga said. "Captain!" Kagami said. "Ryuto said he had a way to take down Midorima's shots, so we let him mark him." Hyūga explained. "Fine." was all Kagami answered.

Both teams set themselves up for the jump ball and once the referee set himself up he threw the ball into the air. Seirin was the first to get the ball as they set up for offense, their opponents set up for defense. Ryuto noticed how fast they mobilized, it was impressive to say the least. Ryuto is currently being guarded by Shutoku's captain Ōtsubo, he had the height advantage over Ryuto something he was not used to. Ryuto looked back towards his team and saw that Izuki passed to Kuroko, who directed it to Kagami for an alley-oop. Ryuto knew it was too easy as he saw Mirdorima come up to block the shot, which he subsequently did. Shutoku recovered the ball with Takao leading the charge. Takao passed it to Shutoku's number 5, who went up for a layup but was blocked by Hyūga. Seirin let out a sigh of relief. Both teams were stuck in a deadlock at the beginning of the quarter neither team gave up any points. Seirin tired to rush down the court to get a point but were blocked by Ōtsubo, who recovered a rebound and passed it Takao who was already down the court. Ryuto noticed Midorima heading to the three point line. Ryuto sprinted as Mirodirma received the ball and set up for a shot. Ryuto then started to count 1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8(I'm trying to put it realistically if he were to take a shot like that irl) and the ball was released. _8 seconds for him to release the ball thats too long_ Ryuto thought to himself as he saw the ball go into the basket. The court erupted in applause at Midorima's shot. He walked back to defense calmly. Ryuto looked at Kuroko who was setting up for a cross court pass to Kagami. Ryuto smiled, everything was going according to plan. Kuroko spun around to face the other basket and bullet passed to to Kagami who was waiting at their basket and proceeded to dunk the ball. Everyone had a face of utter surprise as the ball got to the other side with blinding speed, everyone was questioning what just happened. Midorima gritted his teeth in annoyance while facing Kuroko.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you take the first quarter so easily." he said facing his old teammate.

As Shutoku inbounded the ball it was quickly passed to Midorima who set up for a shot. Ryuto out his arm up to stop him from shooting, but decided to pass instead. _Looks like our surprise put you off balance_ Ryuto thought to himself.

"Ryuto that was the plan right, can I mark Midorima now?" Kagami asked. "No, there's one more thing I want to do." Ryuto said.

Ryuto was currently marking Midorima covering anyway to receive a pass. He looked at Takao he had his usual trickster smile on him. He did crossover to get past Izuki then did a behind the back pass to Ōtsubo who scored a layup. Ryuto gritted his teeth he knew what was going on with him. _So you have been training those keen eyes of yours, damn thats a big problem_ Ryuto thought to himself. With Seirin on offense that ball was passed to Kuroko who sent it to Ryuto who was under the basket to score a layup. As Seirin returned to defense Ryuto heard Shutoku's coach tell Takao to change marks, for him to mark Kuroko. Ryuto's eye's widened, they were already on to him and Takao could defiantly shut down Kuroko. As Shutoku went to offense Takao did another behind the back pass to the blonde boy. Ryuto noticed Izuki's eyes widen he realized what Ryuto already knew. With Seirin back on offense everyone gets set Ryuto looks at Takao who is guarding Kuroko, Ryuto grits his teeth _I should have seen this coming_ he thinks to himself.

"You can see him can't you?" Midorima asks Ryuto. "Yeah I can, the moment I met him." Right answers. "And you're aware of Takao's abilities?" Midorima asks. "Of course I am, I've known him since I was eight years old." Ryuto answers. "Then you know he can stop him." Midorima says. "Yeah I do." Ryuto admits.

Then a pass to Kuroko is cut off by Takao who passes it to Kimura, who then does that same and passes it to the blonde boy who scores a layup. Ryuto grits his teeth once again, he knew the game was going to be difficult, but this sure beat his expectations. Once again Seirin tries to coordinate a pass with Kuroko but is shut down once again by Takao. Kuroko looks shocked at how Takao was able to stop his pass, and so is everyone else. He then goes on a fast break and score.

"Thats the first time I've seen him make a mistake." Hyūga comments. "It wasn't a mistake," Izuki says, "Takao's go the same eagle eye I have. No, his hawk eye gives him an even larger field of vision than me. To sum it all up Kuroko's misdirection won't work against Takao."

Hyūga looks stunned at what Izuki just explained.

"He's right, captain." Ryuto says. "You can't be serious." Hyūga says in disbelief. "It's true I've known Takao since I was eight years old. That ability of his has developed over time. Izuki on offense pass me the ball." Ryuto says as he jogs back to offense.

Eventually Seirin calls a time out. The starters sit on the bench to rest up, everyone's quite. Everyone is having a hard time believing that someone can track Kuroko. Ryuto looked over to Shutoku's bench, Takao had his usual mischievous grin. Ryuto tightened his grip on the water bottle, it frustrated him when he had a counters for their strongest player and yet none for someone who's clearly one level below.

"Hey, don't tell me you're going to keep letting him shut you down." Kagami says grabbing Kuroko's head. "I suppose I don't like it." Kuroko comments. "What kind of a weak ass answer is that Kuroko?" Ryuto asks. "Either way, that's what I like to hear." Kagami said.

Kagami then asks if they can continue going how they have been doing. The coach starts to say that with his misdirection not being of much use due to Takao's ability. The coach asks Kuroko what he's going to do about it, but before anything happens the buzzer sounds signaling the end of the time out. The players return to the court, Ryuto notices Kagami staring at Midorima.

"Forget about him, he's mine." Ryuto says walking to their teammates.

Seirin starts out on offense, but it's quickly noticeable that playing two strong teams in a row is taking its toll on them. Izuki tries to pass to Ryuto but it's cut off by the blonde boy, who passes it to Takao who scores a lay up furthering their lead. Ryuto looks at the score board it's currently 8-13 Shutoku's favor. On offense the ball gets passed to Hyūga who shoots a three and angrily shouts something about kings and dying. On defense the ball gets past both Izuki and Ryuto, but Kuroko finds an opening and tries to send to Hyūga but it's cut off by Takao once again. The ball is then passed to Mirdorima, Ryuto gets in front of him, but enough space to let him shoot. _From the center line, he's probably going to make it but I doubt his form will change_ Ryuto thinks to himself. Midorima starts to squat down. 1…2…3…4, at four seconds Ryuto jumps to block the shot, it only grazes his fingers however. Ryuto lands after Mirdorima and looks back and smiles it's not going in. The ball hits the back of the rim and bounces off. No one makes a move everyone is stunned that Midorima missed. Ryuto rushes to get the rebound, he grabs the ball and sprits using his full court full speed drive and races to the other side scoring a point. He looks back to find a stunned Mirdorima plus everyone else. The the stands erupt in excitement as they just witnessed someone known to never miss miss. Ryuto jogs back to defense and passes Mirdorima.

"H-h-how?" is all Midorima can say. "You're easy to read." Ryuto says not even facing him.

Seirin starts to pat Ryuto on the back for his amazing play and being able to make Midorima miss. The seconds tick by as the score is now 10-13, the first quarter is about to end. Ryuto looks back to find Mirdorima not moving from the other basket. His eyes widen and he races back and gets in Midorima's face as he jumps. Ryuto jumps as well one second earlier, this time his whole hand touches the ball. As he comes back down, with the ball, he scores another layup making it a one point game. With that shot the quarter ends. Everyone is silent once again, Ryuto looks Midorima straight in the eyes. He flinches at the intensity Ryuto's showing. A few moments later the crowds erupt in cheers ranging from; "That was incredible!" to "He blocked Midorima!" Midorima took another step back, once again at the intensity of the boy in front of him. The aura almost felt like his(I think you know who I'm referring to) from way back in middle school.

"Here's the thing, Midorima, you think you're some sort of all powerful being who doesn't miss. Partly due to that ridiculous thinking of horoscope or whatever it is, is what allows you to never miss. Because of that you think your invincible and your shot is invincible, I'm here to bring you back down to Earth, just like I'm going to do to someone else. Rest up this break 'cause next quarter, I'm going full throttle and no one has seen that before." Ryuto says walking away.

"One question, what's your sign?" Midorima asked. "Me, a Leo." Ryuto answered a bit confused.

At Seirin's bench everyone is talking about how Ryuto was able to Midorima's shot. Ryuto was not used to this kind of attention and all he did was chuckle bit and place his hand behind his head nervously. Even Kagami said he was impressed at what Ryuto was able to do.

"It's great that Ryuto blocked that shot, but we have to understand that there's the possibility that Midorima can shoot from that far." the coach said bringing down the mood. "He can." Ryuto said.

Everyone looked at Ryuto with curious faces, all seeking answers.

"The confidence he had in his two shots, the one from the half court line and the back line, is the confidence of a man who knows he can make those kinds of shots. I've only seen one person with that much confidence before and he lives in the States, he also played for me." Ryuto answered.

"If thats true then Ryuto keep on him." the coach said. "Will do." Ryuto says.

On the Shutoku bench everyone is silent no one has said a word since they sat down. Even Takao does not have words.

"Takao." Midorima speaks up. "Uhhh, yeah?" Takao asks. "Who is he, who is Ryuto Rishihara?" Midorima asks. "Well I met him when we were both eight years old, when I met him he barely knew Japanese, he's from America, so he spoke English better. But at basketball he's good, like really good, though that was way back then. Looks like he's improved since then." Takao explains.

Everyone is quite once again, they did not expect Seirin to have such a strong player on their team. They knew about Kuroko and Kagami, the first year duo, but Ryuto was a mystery to them.

"Well the obvious thing would be a way to shut him down." the coach says. "Good luck with that." Takao says. "Coach, give me the ball the entire second quarter." Mirdorima says confidently. "Are you insane that guy shut you down twice, what makes you think now you can stop him?" Ōtsubo asks. "As long as someone can screen him I'll be open." Midorima says. "If it works we'll keep doing if it doesn't we'll need a new plan." the coach says.

The second quarter starts with Shutoku with the ball. Ryuto goes to guard Midorima, who once again regained his confidence from before. Takao then passed it to Midorima who set up for a shot Ryuto crouched down and counted the seconds. Ryuto then suddenly feels a body block him from jumping. He finds Ōtsubo screening him. _They really think screening is going to work on me_ Ryuto thinks with a smile on his face. Instead of jumping Ryuto swats the ball away from Mirdorima, he then grabs it and fast breaks to score a basket putting Seirin in the lead at the start of the second quarter.

"I admire the plan you came up with to stop me, but it won't work. Trust me when I say that I'm going full throttle." Ryuto said as he jogged past Midorima.

Once Midorima gets the inbound he squares up for his shot, but finds Ryuto standing right in front of him. He tries to pass the ball, but Ryuto cuts it off and once again scores. Mirdorima stares at Ryuto in confusion. Shutoku sets up again for offense this time they score without using Mirdorima. Ryuto starts to pant and wipes sweat off his forehead. _Damn keeping up with Midorima is taking a lot out of me_ Ryuto thought to himself. Seirin sets itself up for offense with most of the Shutoku defense focusing on Ryuto who stood in the corner of the court catching his breath. Seirin was on a streak during the second quarter barley allowing Shutoku to score the game was 27-15 in Seirin's favor. The team knew Ryuto needed a break, so during offense he would stand in the corner. Seirin was now on defense, they had made it to the halfway point of the second quarter still in the lead. Once again Ryuto was marking Midorima who now barely received that ball, if at all. _Looks like I shut him down_ Ryuto thought to himself, but he was pleasantly surprised when he did receive the ball.

"I will score on you." Mirdorima says confidently. "You can try." Ryuto says with a smirk.

Mirdorima sets up to shoot the ball, Ryuto does the same but to block him. No one comes to screen Ryuto. Midorima jumps up to take his shot and a few seconds later Ryuto does as well. Once Mirdorima released the ball it was met with Ryuto's hand. The ball bounced on the floor, Ryuto picked it up and sprinted towards the basket. Then all of a sudden everything around him blurred, just like it did against Seiho. All Ryuto could see was the ball bouncing up and down and the basket. Then something else could be seen it was Takao trying to draw a charging foul. Ryuto moved the ball to his right hand and back to his left, which made Takao fall to the floor. Ryuto now could only see the basket. _Could I really try to dunk, or should I just do a lay up?_ Ryuto asked himself. Before he would make a decision his body acted on its on and went for the dunk. He could feel his legs push up, and jump higher than he ever has. Once his hand touched the rim with the ball going through, everything went back to normal. Ryuto could feel his grip loosening on the rim. The all he could see was red as he landed back on the floor. He felt a surge of pain coming from his left ankle as if his foot was just cut off. He let out a loud yell that made everyone silent.

"RYUTO!" the coach yelled as she ran to his side.

Ryuto looked up still only seeing red, but nonetheless saw her looking at him. He then saw Takao kneeling next to him.

"Oh my God, Ryuto I'm so sorry." Takao said very apologetically.

Ryuto looked at his friend, he did not cause this it was his own decision.

"It wasn't your fault Tao, I was stupid I thought I could dunk. I just got caught up in the moment is all." Ryuto said trying to form a smile.

He told a partial truth, he would tell them later what he felt as he tried to dunk.

"Can you stand?" the coach asked getting emotional. "In my honest opinion I should not, but lets give it a try." Ryuto said.

He moved his left leg to try to lift himself up, but he felt another surge of pain. He let out another pained yell and laid back down. He then felt someone pick him up and placed his arm around his should. Ryuto looked to the side to see Kagami picking him up. He placed Ryuto on the bench lying down.

"Thanks guys." was all Ryuto managed to say. "How do you feel?" Hyūga asked. "Honestly like my ankle was just run over by a car. But I'm pretty certain I can't walk this off." Ryuto admitted. "Does that mean you won't be able to return to the game?" Izuki asked. "I would say no." Ryuto said.

The Seirin bench remained quite for a few moments, processing that the just lost their best scorer.

"Guys stop with those sad faces." Ryuto said. "But without you who can stop Midorima?" Koga asked. "I'm sure you guys will figure it out." Ryuto said with a weak smile. "Mitobe-kun you'll sub for Ryuto-kun. Koga please take him to the infirmary." the coach said. "Will do." Koga answered.

Even though they had just lost Ryuto the team still had the determination to win.

"Go on guys win. Finish this game." Ryuto said. "You bet, we'll win it for you." Hyūga said. "Thanks. And Taiga I leave Midorima to you." Ryuto said. "You bet." Kagami said with a smile. "Kuroko, good luck stopping Takao. I know you can do it." Ryuto said as he started to walk with Koga to the infirmary.

Once Ryuto left the game was resumed. Seirin did a quick huddle and chanted their cheer and went off to play.

"The fool thought he could do something he couldn't. He got himself injured." Mirdorima commented. "Except that that fool was able to shut you down. And soon we'll be able to do that too." Kuroko said defending his friend.

Once Koga and Ryuto arrived at the infirmary, Ryuto was placed on one of the beds. He laid on his back staring at the ceiling, his vision had returned to normal. He saw Koga sitting across from him looking worried.

"You can go back to the team. I'll be fine." Ryuto said. "Ok then." Koga said as he walked out.

As Koga left the door open and someone else walked in. Ryuto quickly determined it was the doctor. He wore the standard doctor lab coat. His hair was a dark brown almost black and he had pale blue eyes with bags under them, clearly stating his age. He also wore black framed glasses that augmented his eyes to make them seem sharper. He sat on the chair next to Ryuto and silently studied him. He proceeded to write something down on a paper and then stood up.

"So you're the one who decided to get fancy?" the doctor asked. "Yeah thats me." Ryuto answered with a weak smile. "Ryuto Rishihara… care to explain how this happened?" the doctor asked. "Well I blocked a shot then when I grabbed it I then fast breaked down the court, I tried to dunk but didn't grip the rim well enough and landed hard on my leg and busted my ankle." Ryuto answered.

The doctor wrote something down on his paper and examined his left ankle, which had swollen up significantly. The made an unreadable face as he wrote down whatever he was writing. He then walked over to a table a brought an ice pack along with some bandages. The doctor tied the ice pack to his ankle with the bandages tightly. Ryuto slightly winced at the pain he was experiencing.

"Too tight? Sorry but have to do it." the doctor said. "Thanks, sorry but I don' know your name." Ryuto said. "My bad, call me Igaku." the doctor said with a smile. "Thank you Mr. Igaku." Ryuto said politely.

The doctor wrote something else on the paper as he examined the ice pack with bandages. Seeming satisfied he put down the paper and sat on the chair next to Ryuto.

"So here's the rundown: you're defiantly out for this game. Minimum of games I'd say would be out of is about 2-3 games, not including this one, maximum 6-7. I strongly recommend after this game you head to a hospital and get some x-rays and from there they can decide. From what I could see it's not too bad, but there is some damage. That was one nasty fall you had." Igaku said.

Ryuto sighed, he expect as much. But missing up to seven games really hurt him, that was basically most of Inter-High. He turned to the doctor as he cleared his throat trying to get his attention.

"I can turn on the TV so you can see the game? I'm sure they're playing it." Igaku asked. "No it's fine. Actually can I ask you something?" Ryuto asked. "Yeah sure." Igaku said. "You seem to know a lot about sports injuries, it's kinda weird." Ryuto said.

Igaku started to laugh, much to Ryuto's dislike.

"Thats not really a question, but yes I do know a lot. Partially because after I had a career ending injury, it peaked my interest." Igaku said. "You played a sport?" Ryuto asked. "Yeah I did, basketball actually." Igaku answered. "What position did you play?" Ryuto asked. "Everything, except center. I was too short to play center." Igaku responded.

 _Maybe he'll understand what's going on with my vision_ Ryuto thought to himself.

"There's one more thing I want to ask you." Ryuto said. "Sure, whats on your mind?" Igaku asked. "It's about how I got the injury, how I felt as it happened." Ryuto said.

Igaku placed his head on one of his hands and leaned in closer, as if to hear better. He was clearly intrigued.

"So as I ran off with the ball, I felt everything in slow motion. Plus my vision seemed to blur, all I could see was the ball the basket and the person who tried to guard me. At that moment I felt like I could do anything. It's also the second time something like this happens to me. Do you know what it could be?" Ryuto explained.

Igaku sat up, clearly trying to process what he was just told. He started to scratch the back of his head. He then took in a deep breath and proceeded to let it out.

"I can only think of one thing… It's called the Zone. It's visual affect on someone who's in it everything around gets distorted, except for what your end goal is. While others see a form of lightning in your eyes." Igaku said. "The Zone, I thought that didn't exist." Ryuto said confused. "Oh but it's real. It can only be achieved by certain players when certain conditions are met. Such as a trigger, what might your's be?" Igaku asked. "To be honest I don't know." Ryuto said. "I'm sure you'll figure it out." Igaku said with a smile.

Ryuto thought about what he was just told. He had heard about the Zone, but it was some kind of myth to him. It being real was something Ryuto was not expecting.

"It's a lot to process I know, but like I said before I'm sure you can figure it out." Igaku said. "Thanks Mr. Igaku." Ryuto said. "Well it's time for you to head back. It should be the end of the third quarter by now, you've been here quite a while." Igaku said. "Has it really been that long?" Ryuto asked. "Yep. Here take these to get back." Igaku said handing Ryuto crutches.

Ryuto took the crutches and stood up, bending his left leg backwards. He headed for the door, and Igaku opened it for him.

"Thanks again Mr. Igaku." Ryuto said. "It's no problem, you're an interesting person to say the least." Igaku said. "By the way, something that's been bugging me. Have I seen you somewhere before? You look awfully familiar." Ryuto asked. "I just have one of those faces." Igaku answered.

Ryuto shrugged and headed back to his teams bench to support them. He had a bad feeling that everything went down hill since he left. As he entered back into the court the first thing he saw was that the third quarter had ended and that Shutoku had take the lead. He the looked toward his bench, Ryuto noticed that Kuroko was subbed out. Everyone was extremely exhausted. He looked at Kagami who was getting really worked up, he had an angry expression on his face. On his way over to see his team he heard Kagami say something that really pissed him off more than anything.

"Did I just hear you right? You just said 'what good would passing have done?'" Ryuto said angrily. "R-R-R-Ryuto your back!" Kagami said looking back and trying to calm down. "You have teammates that are willing to help you." Ryuto said. "But I'm the only one who can stand up against Shutoku at this moment!" Kagami yelled.

Angered even further, Ryuto grabbed Kagami by the shirt and pulled him in close so that they were eye to eye.

" _Listen here so self centered, hardheaded moron. You have a team with you that is willing to help you beat a stronger opponent. There is no "I" in team. If I could still play I would make you sit your ass down on the bench and watch what team work means._ " Ryuto said furiously.

He then forcefully released his grip off Kagami, who was reeling back in a small mount of fear. The bench was quiet for a moment, everyone was trying to process what Ryuto was saying since he spoke in English. Reading the situation Ryuto explained everything he just said, but in Japanese.

"I basically said: 'There is no "I" in team." Ryuto explained.

Everyone's faces had the same expression of somewhat understanding. Ryuto could see that Kagami was slowly beginning to understand what he was saying. Ryuto then looked at Kuroko who sighed in relief. As the tense air dissipated, everyone's nerves no longer seemed on edge. Hyūga thanked Ryuto for calming Kagami down and for returning to the game, even though he could not play.

"We still need a way to win this game." Hyūga said. "I think we do, right Kuroko?" Ryuto said looking at the blue haired boy. "Indeed we do." he answered as he took off his warmup shirt getting ready to play. "I can do more than just redirect the ball." Kuroko said with a determined look on his face.

Kuroko explained his plan to everyone and the team seemed to agree as the timeout ended and both teams went onto the court. He explained that he had a different pass the only certain people could catch. He elaborated by saying that Ryuto could defiantly catch it and that Kagami in his current state could as well. Once the quarter began, Seirin started with the ball. Which was passed to Hyūga, who passed it to Kagami. He went to attack the basket, but was stopped by a double team by Midorima and Otsubo. Kagami passed it to Mitobe who made the first point of the fourth quarter. Ryuto smiled his message got through. When Shutoku went for the inbound the ball went directly to Midorima who set up for a shot, but was blocked by Kagami from behind. Everyone cheered, Ryuto smiled a little, but what concerned him the most was that he was using too much strength.

"If he had only used my trick he could have saved so much more energy instead of over exerting himself." Ryuto said. "Well he isn't as smart as you." the coach said. "Even so brute force only gets you so far. If you can think correctly on the court, thats when you can play to the fullest." Ryuto said. "Maybe that's just Kagami's style brute force." the coach suggested. "That's the thing; it always has been, since middle school." Ryuto explained.

On Serin's second offensive run, Kuroko finally set his plan into motion. He disappeared from Takao's vision, but as he went to stop the pass that was sent for Kagami, Kuroko accelerated the speed of the pass. When Kagami caught the ball, he jumped for a dunk that went over Midorima and into the basket. But after the dunk Kagami was clearly running out of energy. Serene continued to dominate most of the fourth quarter, with Kuroko being able the break free from Takao's vision. Ryuto felt happy that the team was able to overcome difficult obstacles to be able to get to this point.

"You seem happy." the coach pointed out. "I am. Last time I saw teamwork like this was during my middle school final game." Ryuto said with a smile.

With two minutes left in the fourth quarter, Seirin was one point behind Shutoku. Shutoku then called a time out, the score was 76-78 their favor. During the timeout the air was tense, everyone could feel the pressure of the final minutes. At this moment Ryuto wished, more than ever, that he could play.

"We'll win this." a voice said.

Ryuto looked up to find Kuroko looking at him with a determined face. He help up his fist, waiting for an answer.

"Defiantly." Ryuto answered as he bumped fists with his friend.

Shutoku inbounded that ball and it was passed immediately to Midorima. This pass was anticipated and Kuroko cut it off and passed it to Hyūga. Hyūga went up for a layup but was blocked by a determined Otsubo. Time continued to pass with no one scorning, but with thirty seconds left Midorima scored a three putting Shutoku ahead even further. Ryuto gritted his teeth in frustration. Then Hyūga returned the favor with a three of his own, making the game, once again, a two point gap. At 18 seconds the ball was hit out of bounds by a Shutoku played making it Seirin's ball. While everyone set themselves up for the next play Otsubo started to mark Hyūga, clearly intent on not allowing any three's. As Izuki got the ball on the inbound Hyūga started to move to the three point line, with Otsubo right behind them. Suddenly Otsubo was screened by Kagami. Hyūga kept running all the way to the half court line, when he received the ball he set up and took a shot. Nothing but net, everyone roared in approval and only three seconds remained. While everyone cheered at the possibility of a victory, Ryuto noticed that Shutoku was not shaken. Ryuto knew what was going to happen next. Takao grabbed the ball and inbounded it directly to Midorima, who was waiting. The pass caught everyone by surprise. He set up for a shot, not wasting any time. Kagami forced himself to jump stunning everyone at how he was able to do it. Midorima then crouched back down, he had faked his shot. Ryuto smiled, the game was won. As Midorima went back to reset his shot Kuroko appeared and swatted the ball away from Midorima. As the ball touched the ground the buzzer sounded ending the game. Seirin roared in excitement as they had just beaten another king and they would move on. While Shutoku had a disappointed look on their faces. As Seirin's bench celebrated, Ryuto noticed the coach getting emotional again. He smiled a bit and went towards her.

"We did it." Ryuto said to her. "Yeah we did, all thanks to you." the coach said. "No it wasn't all me, it was the team that made this happen." Ryuto said. "You're right." she said wiping away tears. "Come on." Ryuto said spreading his arms apart. "What are you doing?" the coach asked. "It's something we do, sometimes, in the States. I believe it's called a hug." Ryuto said with a smile. "Dumbass." she said as she hugged him.

Both team lined up to congratulate each other. As Shutoku walked away Ryuto went over to Takao, who hanged his head down.

"It's not like you to be like this." Ryuto said. "Ryu-chan! You're all right!" Takao said. "Yeah I am, but out for a few games though." Ryuto said. "Well good luck in the long run." Takao said. "Thanks Tao." Ryuto said.

As he turned to leave Ryuto felt a hand placed on his shoulder. He looked back to find Midorima holding some kind of raccoon figure.

"What's with the racoon tall, dark, and green?" Ryuto asked. "It's today's lucky item." Midormia said. "Well anyways good game and sorry about what I said, I just sometimes let out bottled feelings." Ryuto apologized with one hand scratching the back of his head nervously. "It's fine and good game to you as well. Next time you won't be able to block my shots or Kagami." Midorima said determined. "I look forward to that day." Ryuto said extending his hand.

The two boys shook hands, acknowledging each other strengths. Ryuto turned and head back to his team while Takao and Midorima did the same.

"He can beat the rest of us." Midorima said. "I figured that out the moment I met him." Takao said.

 **AN: And here concludes a new chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. What Ryuto experienced vs. Seiho is now explained, if that's what you were expecting good job. The injury is just to keep the story linear with what is established, no AU just edits to make my character too OP and second to keep everything in line with how it happened. Stay tuned for the next chapter, leave any suggestions or ideas in the reviews and I'll see if I can include them. Remember to follow, favorite, and/or review! Stay tuned for next time.**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Here is chapter 6, a bit sooner this time. It's another non game chapter, so more character development. I noticed that more people have followed and/or favorited, thanks guys it gives some motivation to get another chapter out quicker. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Rememeber I do not own Kuroko no Basket, I only own my OC.**

Chapter 6

Reconnections

As the Seirin returned to their locker room the first that was heard were groans from the players who had just finished playing. They all sat down stretching, followed by painful groans. Once Kagami sat down it looked like he was not going to be getting up anytime soon. Ryuto smiled, the team had gone through a lot in a span of a few hours. He rested against the wall watching the team struggle to walk. Then some eyes turned towards him and down to his leg.

"You guy's want an explanation right?" Ryuto asked. "Yeah we do." Hyūga answered. "Well from what the doctor here told me is that I'm going to be out for awhile. I should also go to the hospital to get my ankle checked out, and from there I'll know for sure how long I'm going to be out." Ryuto explained.

The team sighed, loosing someone like Ryuto hurt their morale a bit. After a few more minutes of resting the coach entered the locker room saying that they needed to leave. the players who played began to groan once again in pain. Hyūga asked for a few more minutes, and pointed out that Kagami could barely move. Who went on to say that he could not feel his body. The coach then said that the team should head to the nearest restaurant.

"Sorry to rain on the parade, but I need to get to the hospital and get my ankle checked out." Ryuto said. "Oh right we'll do that really quick then we'll grab something to eat." the coach said.

After the hospital trip, which consisted of Ryuto getting x-ray's and being said to return tomorrow, the team went to a restaurant called Okonomi Yaki. On they way there Kuroko, who was chose to carry Kagami, dropped him in a puddle which in turn put Kagami in a sour mood. As the team walked into the restaurant Kagami was quick to notice Kise and Kasamatsu eating there already. Kise said hello while Kasamatsu was more concerned about not being called by an honorific. The team sat down with Kuroko and Kagami sitting with Kise and Kasamatsu, while Ryuto sat by himself claiming it was so he could put his leg out. After a tense conversation between Kagami and Kise the door to the restaurant opened, the new people who entered were Takao and Midorima. Who shocked to see Seirin, plus Kise. Midorima then turned to leaving saying that they were going to go somewhere else. As they left the wind picked up and the two walked back in very wet. Takao then noticed Kasamatsu who was sitting where Kise was, Takao claimed to be a big fan of his and pulled him away from the table to sit where Ryuto was. Midorima then sat down where Kasamtasu once was.

"You wanted this to happen, didn't you?" Kasamatsu asked Takao. "Of course not." Takao said defensively. "That's Takao for you, always the sadist." Ryuto said. "You too Ryu-chan." Takao said.

An awkward conversation started at the table where three of the Generation of Miracles plus Kagami were sitting. Ryuto turned back to his table mates, Takao was having a conversation with Kasamatsu, while Ryuto stared at his ankle. His mind raced around what the doctor had said about the Zone. _If it really is possible I can use the Zone, then I should try to capitalize on it_ Ryuto thought to himself. The his mind drifted to what his middle school coach would say about what he could do, then he thought about his middle school teammates, wondering what they would think.

"Are you all right?" a voice asked breaking Ryuto from his thoughts.

Ryuto looked up to find Kasamatsu staring at him curiously.

"It's nothing just thinking." Ryuto answered poking at his food.

"How's the injury?" Kasamatsu asked changing the subject. "It doesn't hurt as much as before but still stings a bit." Ryuto explained. "I saw how it happened nasty fall you had." Kasamatsu said. "Oh you were there, no doubt judging my decision." Ryuto commented. "Actually I didn't, your face looked determined to make that dunk. Yet once your hand touched the rim, you looked like you regretted doing it." Kasamatsu explained. "I guess you're right." Ryuto said.

The two sat in silence for a few moments as they ate. Takao was playing with his food by throwing it up and down, with Kasamatsu cautioning him. On one of Takao's tosses it landed on Midorima's head causing him to turn around in anger. Midorima then walked over to Takao and dragged him outside. All that was head was yelling, which was assumed it was Takao.

"He's not coming back in is he?" Ryuto asked. "I highly doubt it." Kasamatsu answered.

Midorima then walked back in continuing his conversation with Kagami. Ryuto tuned out at their conversation, not wanting to get involved. But Ryuto's eye widened when he said a certain name; Aomine Daiki. Memories of his, former, friend flooded into Ryuto. His tightened his grip on his chopsticks so much so that one of them snapped. The sound caught the attention of Kasamatsu, who turned to him curiously.

"You all right?" he asked. "Yeah I'm… I'm fine." Ryuto said hesitantly.

Kasamatsu shrugged and went back to finishing his food.

"Actually there is something I'd like to ask you." Ryuto said. "Sure, what's on your mind." Kasamatsu said. "If you had the ball and your body is telling you shoot while your mind is telling you pass, when you know it's not your job to finish a game. What would you do?" Ryuto asked. "You're talking about what you did during the Seiho game?" Kasamatsu asked. "You were there too?" Ryuto replied.

Kasamatsu nodded and continued to talk: "In the position you were in, I would have taken the shot. But I knew how much that game meant to your seniors, so it would make sense to pass it, before you jumped to take the shot." Kasamatsu explained.

Ryuto pondered his explanation, it made sense. Normally, in that position, Ryuto would have shot, but his body took over then his mind did. The same thing happened against Shutoku during the dunk, his body took over then his mind. After a few minutes the coach annouced they were going to leave. Ryuto up, swung his bag around his shoulder, and rested himself on his crutches. He then looked towards Kasamatsu who was also about to leave.

"Thanks." Ryuto said outstretching his hand. "No problem." Kasamatsu said shaking Ryuto's hand. "Well see you next time, Kasamatsu…-senpai." Ryuto said as he turned away and started to walk.

Kasamatsu's face lit up in happiness as someone from Seirin had called him senpai. Ryuto smiled and turned back to him.

"I don't give honorifics to everyone, only to people who I can respect." Ryuto said.

The team gathered outside the restaurant. Hyūga got everyone pumped up for the championship league with something simple. Soon after everyone noticed that Kuroko had disappeared. He made his presence known and he was holding a box with a dog in it.

"I found this… dog." Kuroko said gesturing to the dog.

Everyone had a confused face on them, wondering where the dog came from and what to do with it. The the coach walked out wonder what all the commotion was about. Once she laid eyes on the dog, her personality flipped on itself and she was acting girly towards the dog.

"Who knew she had this side to her." Ryuto commented. Everyone nodded in response.

Just as suddenly she began she stopped noticing the dogs eyes. She looked the dog's then Kuroko's and deduced that their eyes were one in the same. Everyone began clamoring at how much the dog resembled Kuroko. Koga went so fas as to call him Testsuya #2. Then the coach looked towards Kagami, who was hiding behind a sign.

"Hey, I'm wondering. What are you doing, Kagami?" the coach asked.

Kagami turned his head timidly, trying to speak.

"Taiga's afraid of dogs." Ryuto said bluntly. "Do you have to be so blunt!?" Kagami argued.

The team decided to keep the dog and soon after went their separate ways. Once Ryuto arrived at his apartment he plopped down on his couch and let out a sigh. Even though he had only played a bit during the two games he was still tired out of his mind. The his mind shifted to Aomine, most likely the teams next opponent. His mind then shifted to when he first met Aomine on his first trip to Japan.

 _Flashback_

Ryuto walked onto a basketball court with his cousin. When they arrived they found a boy with tan skin and blue hair playing with older boys. Ryuto was amazed at the boy's agility. Eventually the older boys called it quits and left. The boy then turned to Ryuto's cousin and greeted her.

"Hey Satsuki! Who's the foreigner? Is he your boyfriend?" the boy snickered. "Gross Dai-chan! This is my cousin from America; Ryuto Rishihara." Satsuki explained. "Just messing with you Satsuki." the boy, now dubbed Dai-chan, said with a smile.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Aomine Daiki." Aomine said with a smile. "H-H-Hello A-A-Aomine. _My name is_ Ryuto Rishihara." Ryuto stuggled to say in Japanese. "You're clearly Japanese and yet you can't speak it very well." Aomine laughed.

Ryuto face turned to a deep red, he was clearly embarrassed. Aomine was right he had very little experience speaking Japanese. He turned to Satsuki who laughed a bit too, but soon stopped and translated for him.

" _He said that you look Japanese yet you don't speak the language._ " she translated.

"You p-p-p-play basketball?" Ryuto asked changing the subject. Aomine nodded a yes, then asked his own question: "Want to play?" Aomine asked holding the ball out.

Ryuto nodded and both boys went on to play. They continued playing until sundown, which was when Ryuto was supposed to return home. Both boy's sat against a wall, panting and laughing.

"You play really well." Aomine said. "You too." Ryuto said. "Hope we can play again, you put up a better challenge then most of the older boys around here." Aomine said. "I'll get s-s-stronger! And m-m-mop the f-f-floor with you!" Ryuto said determined.

The two boys laughed and fist bumped each other.

"Yeah, but next time try to speak better Japanese." Aomine said. "I will. _And you learn better English._ " Ryuto said.

 _End Flashback_

Ryuto looked at the photo that him, Satsuki, and Aomine; all of them had smiles on their faces. _Those were defiantly the good old days. But now I'm going to show you just how much you've changed Aomine_ Ryuto thought to himself. He got up from the couch, removed his the ice pack and bandages, and went to take a shower. After a week of, what could only be called, midterms practices had resumed. The doctors at the hospital explained to Ryuto that his injury was noting too major, just a really bad sprain. They went on to say that he would not be playing for about three weeks and after the cast was removed one more week that he could not play, but light exercise was recomended. During a practice Ryuto rested against his crutches and had a cast around his foot that went all the way up his knee. With the cast he had become the center of attention in his classes, something he was not used to. Kagami was also not practicing, due him still healing after the Shutoku game. During the practice every time a good play was made #2 would bark, which also put Kagami on edge. The dog barked once more adn all attention was turned to the dog. Ryuto smiled, there was something about dogs that mad everyone happy. As the dog entered the gym Kagami ran for the door. Before he made it to the door he stumbled and feel to his knees. Ryuto laughed a bit at his friends misfortune.

"You really don' like them do you?" the coach asked. "Yes." Kagami said.

Ryuto went over to Kagami and helped him stand up.

"Wuss." was all the Ryuto said to him.

Then Kuroko began to chase Kagami with the dog. Trying to convince him of how cute he was and harmless. This only further angered Kagami. Everyone soon agreed that Kuroko was doing it on purpose. Practice then shifted to pool training at the coach dad's gym. Ryuto rested against a wall not wanting his cast to get wet while Kagami sat closer and shuddered a bit when the dog came too close. The coach had instructed the team to do squats, in the water. She began to blow her whistle, every time she blew it was one squat. After doing a few the coach let everyone take a quick rest. The team continued to do more, but still complained nonetheless.

"What a cute dog." a voice said referring to #2.

Ryuto's head shot up immediately recognizing the voice. Everyone turned their head to where the voice was coming from and their heads sank into the water. Ryuto also immediately recognized who it was when he looked in the direction. It was a girl with long pink hair and pink eyes, she wore a sea green bikini and wore a white shirt. All in all is was quite revealing.

"Satsuki, what are you doing here?!" Ryuto asked loudly. "Ryu-chan!" the girl, now called Satsuki, exclaimed as she went went to hug Ryuto.

There was a commotion between the guys, who muttered for Ryuto to either die or saying how lucky he was for knowing someone like her.

"You know her!?" Koga exclamied.

Ryuto released himself from Satsuki's hug and turned to his team.

"Everyone meet Satsuki Momoi." Ryuto said. "How do you know her, is she your girlfriend?" Izuki asked. "What!? No that's gross! She's my cousin." Ryuto explained.

Most of the team had the same expression, as if saying that she was available.

"Yep I'm Ryu-chan's cousin, but I'm also Tetsu's girlfriend." Satsuki said. "Tetsu?" the coach questioned. "Kuroko Tetsuya." she said casually.

"What!?" everyone yelled. "You have a girlfriend?!" Furihata asked. "No. She was my manager in middle school." Kuroko denied.

As Kuroko exited the pool, Satsuki went in to hug Kuroko as well.

"I missed you so much!" Satsuki said as she pressed her chest against Kuroko, in the process getting everyone else jealous. "Momoi-san I can't breathe." Kuroko said.

Koga went on to say why would she date Kuroko if he was dull and boring. With Satsuki replying with that's his best quality then she said that he gave her a popsicle, much to everyone's disbelief. It was noticeable that she was having a flashback when she said popsicle, Ryuto then went towards her and shook her back to reality.

"Sorry to break the lovers reunion. But why are you here Satsuki?" Ryuto asked frustrated. "You're so harsh Ryu-chan. To answer your question I'm partially here to scold you. You were supposed to move in with me about a week ago, your mom called asking if you've moved in already." Satsuki said also frustrated.

Ryuto turned to his team embarrassed that he was being scolded. He turned back to his cousin so he could explain.

"Well I've been kinda caught up with other things; like school, basketball, and now this injury is slowing down my ability to pack up my things." Ryuto explained. "Then you could have just called Mom or Dad to come help you. Hell I would've helped too." Satsuki replied. "They bicker like siblings." Seirin commented in unison.

Satsuki then went back to frolicking over Kuroko. Ryuto facepalmed, his cousin was still as random as ever. Ryuto turned his head to the pool when a splash was heard and found Hyūga in the pool with a big red mark on his cheek. Satsuki the cried out to stop hurting Hyūga, while the latter stared in amazement at how she knew him. She went on the say that she knew everyone on the team she described Hyūga, Izuki, Mitobe, Kagami, but only said Koga and Tsuchida by their name. She then turned to the coach and commented on her small breast size, which sent the coach into an angered state.

"So blunt Satsuki." Ryuto said. "So are you Ryu-chan." Satsuki said.

"Momoi-san," Kuroko started to say, "did you really go to Aomine-kun's school?" "Yeah," Satsuki admitted, "I really did want to go to your school. But who knows what might happen if I'm that there to watch him?" "He'll probably start a couple of fights here and there." Ryuto commented.

She then turned here attention back on the dog who was being refused to be pet by her. Eventually Kagami left the pool and went off to do something while the others left. Leaving Satsuki, Kuroko, and Ryuto at the pool.

"Congratulations on getting into the championship league." Satsuki said. "Momoi-san, didn't you say you were going too?" Kuroko asked. "Huh? Did I already tell you?" Satsuki asked. "No, but you implied it when you said you could not wait until the championship league." Ryuto explained. "Did I?" Satsuki laughed. "Yes." Kuroko answered. "The next time we meet, will be on different benches." Satsuki commented. "Indeed" Kuroko said hanging his head. "I saw the video of your game against Midorin." Satsuki said. "Midorin? I'm assuming thats a nickname for Midorima?" Ryuto asked. Satsuki nodded and continued talking: "It was a great game. Ryu-chan, you really played well, sorry about your injury. Blocking Midorima was really impressive." Ryuto smiled a bit in response. "Kagami… He plays _he_ used to." Satsuki said. "I noticed." Kuroko said not facing her. "Watching you two play brought back so many memories." Satsuki said.

It was obvious that what Satsuki had said triggered memories to Kuroko as well, who stared at his hand.

"I prefer the way you and Aomine used to play. He started playing basketball by himself, isolated from the team. I thought loosing would change him. But he just doesn't loose, even by himself he still wins." Satsuki said. "Thats why I'm here!" Ryuto spoke up. "But you're injuged how can you beat him?" Satsuki asked. "I may not be able to beat him in a basketball game, but maybe with words I can change him." Ryuto said. "Will he change if you try that?" Kuroko asked. "I don't know but it's worth a try." Ryuto said determined. "I know Aomine-kun's strength, but I won't be fighting him alone. I promise I will beat Aomine-kun." Kuroko said determined. "I think you mean we Kuroko." Ryuto said determined as well.

Satsuki smiled at the determination of the two boys. She eventually decided to leave and Ryuto followed her deciding to pay his aunt and uncle a visit. The two walked in silence for a while, none of them spoke about what they had just finished talking about.

"He was excited to play you." Satsuki said breaking the silence. "Was he?" Ryuto asked. "Yeah, it's all he thought about being able to play someone on his level. But once he heard about your injury his desire fell back down to Earth." Satsuki said. "I thought so." Ryuto said.

The two continued to walk until they made it to Satsuki's house. When he entered the house he was immediately greeted by his aunt who was overenthusiastic to see him. She kept him held in a long and tight hug, when Ryuto was finally released he took a deep breath.

"It's good to see you too, Aunty." Ryuto said. "Your mother called asking if you already moved in with us. She was quite unhappy that you still haven't." his aunt said. "Sorry, been caught up with things and my injury is slowing me down big time." Ryuto said. "Well either way, say hi to your uncle and Satsuki can show you where you're going to stay when you do move in." his aunt said as she let him and Satsuki through the door.

Ryuto went into the house it seemed smaller than his house in the States, but he did not care. Ryuto looked around for his uncle but could not find him in the down stairs area. Satsuki then called for him to go upstairs with her so he could see where he was going to be staying. His room was about the same size as his room in the apartment. He set his crutches against the wall and sat on the bed.

"Comfy right?" Satsuki asked with a smile. "Yeah defiantly. I'll feel right at home." Ryuto said with a smile as well. "Well you should feel at home since you're going to be staying here." a voice said.

Ryuto looked up to find his uncle leaning on the door way, clearly happy to see his nephew. Ryuto tried to get up, but his uncle stopped him when he walked over to him.

"No need to get up, I'll just come over to you." his uncle said.

The two family members hugged, happy to see each other.

"You know if you needed help bringing stuff over here, you could just call and I can drive your things over." his uncle said. "I'll keep that in mind when everything is ready." Ryuto said.

His uncle smiled, patted him on the back and left the room leaving Ryuto with Satsuki. The two stayed silent for some time before Ryuto spoke up.

"Well I better head back. See you again soon." Ryuto said as he got up to leave. "Yeah, see you later." Satsuki said.

When Ryuto entered the gym for the afternoon practice, the team was looking at a paper a discussing something about the championship league. Ryuto looked at the paper and saw the names of the teams that were participating. His grip on the paper tightened when he saw Tōō, Aomine's school. Koga said that since they beat two of the teams that always make, that meant that they had a chance to make it all the way. The coach quickly shot him down by saying that Tōō was the team to beat during the championship league. Everyone seemed stunned that that was the school Aomine went to, stating that all the Generation of Miracles had gone to well known schools. The coach explained that Tōō had out a lot of effort into scouting recently. She went on to say that they recruited strong athletes from all over the country. Everyone seemed threatened at what Tōō could do with all the strong players that they supposedly had. Then a voice called out from the entrance of the gym where Kagami was entering. #2 barked and the coach gave Kagami a good look and noticed something wrong with his legs.

"Have you been playing basketball, Kagami?" the coach asked clearly angry.

Kagami tired to deny it, but the coach caught him before he could dig himself deeper. The coach began to scold him for being stupid, to which Kagami began apologizing. She then told him to sit out today and to get a heating pad from the nurse and he had to go there on his hands. As Kagami left Kuroko followed him.

"I can't believe that idiot!" she exclaimed. "He might be and idiot, but he never does something without a reason." Ryuto said trying to calm her down. "I'm mad because we won't have you or Kagami in our first game." the coach said frustrated. "By the way who do we play first?" Hyūga asked. "Our first game is against Tōō!" she announced.

Ryuto woke up the morning of the game against Tōō. Even if he could not play seeing his team play was more than enough to bring a smile to his face. Ryuto put on his jersey and his warmup pants and walked into the living room of his apartment. He grabbed the picture of him, Aomine, and Satsuki when they were kids and smiled. _Maybe if I show him this picture it'll help_ Ryuto thought as he put the picture in his bag. He then looked at another picture this time with a red haired boy he stared at it for a few moments. _I'll think about you after this game_ Ryuto though to himself. Ryuto spent the rest of the day only thinking about the game ahead and seeing a smile on his friends face while playing the game he so clearly loved.

 **AN: Here chapter 6 comes to an end. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This game will be really good somethings that happen in it really does a number on Ryuto. I'll try to upload another chapter soon, but with work and going to a beach hotel might put a damper on those plans. But stay tuned for the next part. Leave a suggestion and I'll see if I can add it in. Remember to review, follow, and/or favorite if you haven't already.**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Here is chapter 7 sorry I took so long, life complications (and enjoying summer). But anyways here's another chapter. I hope you enjoy it. This one was harder to write due to my character not playing, but it's also an emotional ride for him. And for those of you who see oc x Riko there's a pretty big moment for that here. Nonetheless I hope you enjoy and thanks to all the people who have reviewed, followed, and/or favorited the story means a lot. Remember I do not own Kuroko no Basket I only own the OC.**

Chapter 7

Vs. Tōō

"It's almost time!" the coach yelled in the locker room. "Are you ready?!" she asked.

The response was determined looks on everyone's faces, even Ryuto looked ready to play despite his injury. She proceeded to describe how the games were going to go and in the process hit Koga for his previous assumptions. The team huddled together and chanted their catchphrase and proceeded to go to the court. As they entered the court the team could hear the murmurs of people being excited as both teams arrived. Ryuto looked over to Tōō's bench, but could not see Aomine. Ryuto gritted his teeth in frustration. _Looks like he isn't even going to show up_ Ryuto thought. Kagami went over to ask the opponent where Aomine was, the answer was that he was running late. The boy with glasses proceeded to call his team the opening act until Aomine would appear. Ryuto shivered a bit at how the boy with glasses referred his team as the opening act, the way he spoke put Ryuto a bit on edge. He could see that some of the others felt the same way as well. The starting five for this game were: Izuki, Kagami, Kuroko, Hyūga, and Mitobe. Ryuto sighed a bit, part of him wanted to play even if he was injured. He felt a light punch on his arm, he looked down to find the coach staring at him.

"They've got this. No need for you to get all worked up." the coach assured him. "Can't blame me for wanting to play." Ryuto said with a small smile.

The teams set up for the jump ball, after a short conversation about scoring as much as possible before Aomine showed up. Even if it was the best plan, something bothered Ryuto since the start of the game about Tōō, but he could not place it. The referee threw the ball into the air to commence the game. Kagami hit the ball towards Izuki, but it was caught by Tōō's captain. The opponent sprinted towards offense, with Hyūga reaching the captain before they could do anything. He then passed the ball quickly behind the back to the boy with light brown hair, who once he grabbed the ball immediately took a shot without squaring up. He yelled out an apology and the ball went into the basket, nothing but net. Tōō captain went on to confirm what he had stated previously, that they were the opening act until Aomine appeared. Ryuto stared in amazement at the shot the boy took. Then he put two and two together and figured out their play style, it was a team that focused on individual skill rather than teamwork, the complete opposite of them. Only four minutes had passed and Seirin knew that this game was not going to be easy, even without Aomine Tōō was going to be a challenge. Tōō's center was able to get the rebound off a missed shot, once he landed he passed down the court to where their captain was waiting. He went up for a lay up, but was blocked by Izuki. He then readjusted his body and shot underhanded.

"You probably thought that without us having Aomine you could score as many points as you could, but I guess that means you misinterpreted what I said. What I was meaning was that; even without Aomine we're just as good." the boy with glasses explained.

"He's even more of a sadist than Takao." Ryuto commented.

On the bench Furihata was looking at Tōō's previous games, and noticed that all their games they had won by a score larger than 100. The coach commented that they're the opposite of Seiho, they were a hyper-offense team. The bench looked back towards the game and saw that the boy with light brown hair shot again, but missed this time. But one of their own players pushed the ball back in. Ryuto could tell that the team had realized what he did, Tōō was a team of individuals, they cared little about teamwork. Seirin set up for offense with Izuki setting up the play. He drove past Tōō's captain, thanks in part to Kagami's screen, he then passed it to Mitobe who passed to Hyūga, who scored. On Tōō's inbound the captain received the ball and threw a long pass to the center was already down the court, when Kuroko appeared behind him. Kuroko jumped to try and get the ball, but was too low then Kagami jumped and got the ball then passed it to Izuki to begin offense. Ryuto looked over towards Tōō's bench and saw Satsuki going over something on a clipboard. He knew that Satsuki was a good information gatherer, but something seemed off about her, it was like if her personality flipped to someone who was cold and distant. On the highest stands two of the Generation of Miracles were watching the game form above. Those two were Kise Ryota and Midorima Shintaro.

"How's the game going so far?" Kise asked. "Nothing special. It's pretty ridiculous, but they can't keep up Aomine isn't even here." Midorima commented. "Well Ryutocchi is out so thats probably part of the reason. If he was in the game Seirin would be ahead by ten." Kise commented. "Haven't you forgotten Kise, Tōō has Momoi. Even if Aomine wasn't here, they have her. She's not just a manager. In other words, if she is you opponent she becomes something difficult to handle." Midorima explained. "Momocchi… Hasn't she known Aominecchi since they were kids? Also wasn't she crazy in love with Kurokocchi? I doubt she can do good with him as an opponent." Kise said. "Is that so?" Midorima asked. "What?! How did you not notice? She was all over him. If you didn't know that you must be a monkey." Kise explained. "What do you mean by monkey?! Anyway's she's also Ryuto's cousin. I doubt she would want any of those two to slack off." Midorima answered. "Ryutocchi is Momocchi's cousin? I thought only he had a cousin form America?" Kise asked. "That's besides the point. Her role may be differnet, but she's just as passionate about basketball just like a player." Midorima explained.

Ryuto continued to look towards the opponents bench. He saw that Satsuki was talking to the coach about something on the clipboard since both of the kept gesturing towards it. Ryuto tried to get a look at what she had written down about them, but could not see. When he looked back towards the court he saw Kagami go for a three, but he the ran straight for the basket to do his one-man alley-oop. Before he could make it to the basket he was cut off by Tōō's number 7 and they got the rebound. Ryuto looked back over to Satsuki, he could feel as if the Jaws theme was creeping up and the shark was about to strike.

"We've been studied, by that girl." the coach said as if reading Ryuto's thoughts. "It's what she does best information gathering. Sometimes it gets a bit creepy in real life, but in basketball it's a good skill." Ryuto explained.

As Ryuto continued to watch the game he could tell Satsuki had told them how to adjust their defense for their attacks. Mitobe went up for his hook shot, but was blocked by the blonde center. On their second chance Hyūga got the ball and was being guarded by the boy with brown hair. He faked to take a shot and went to dribble but was stopped flat by the person guarding him. Everyone seemed amazed at how they were able to figure out what Hyūga was going to do before he did it. Ryuto looked back towards Satsuki and once again felt the same way he did before, but this time the shark had appeared. Hyūga then passed it back to Izuki, who passed it right back. But this time Hyūga drove for the basket. His mark followed, but was screened by Kuroko. Hyūga then passed it Kagami, who proceeded to dunk the ball. With two minutes left in the first quarter the score was 21-15 Tōō leading. The first quarter ended with Seirin trailing by four. At Seirin's bench the coach was explaining that Kuroko and Kagami were the best bet to score since, Kuroko was unpredictable and Kagami was still developing. Everyone seemed fine with the idea, but the thought of leaving to the two was bugging Ryuto.

"Coach are you sure it's a good idea to just leave it to Kuroko and Kagami?" Ryuto asked. "It's our best bet for now." the coach answered. "But if we use them too much they'll get used to it and Satsuki will have enough data to properly defend them." Ryuto cautioned. "We'll worry about that when the time comes." the coach said.

Ryuto sighed and went back to watching the game. Izuki started with the ball he then passed it to Kuroko who sent straight for Kagami. Two blockers went up to try and block him, but they came down before Kagami, who went for a dunk; scoring the first point of the second quarter. As he landed back on the ground, Ryuto noticed Kagami wince a bit and looking at his legs. He looked over to the coach who also noticed what had happened to Kagami. She then told Koga to go in quickly, much to his surprise. When Kagmi found out he was being switched out he tried to protest, but ultimately obliged.

"Your legs haven't fully healed have they?" the coach asked.

Everyone gasped in surprise on the bench. Ryuto just looked at his friend with a worried look on his face.

"I'm fine. there's nothing wrong." Kagami argued. "No you're not alright. Maybe you're not sick, but your legs aren't fully healed yet. Take it from someone who has a busted leg." Ryuto explained. "He's right I'm going to tape your legs, but it won't last long." the coach said.

The second quarter continued with Tōō taking advantage of Kagami's absence. They continued to make point after point, without much resistance. Back at the top of the stands Midorima and Kise commented on how big a hole both Kagami and Ryuto made by not being on the court.

"It may look like Kagami is the ace of the team, thanks in part to Kuroko. But the real ace of Seirin is Ryuto. You could say there are two ace's one that works in the light the other in shadows." Midorima commented. "Isn't the shadow Kuroko?" Kise asked. "He's Kagami's shadow, but Ryuto is the shadow that pulls the team together. He's the one they really count on when they're in a pinch." Midorima explained.

Back on Seirin's bench everyone watched in frustration at how much Tōō had taken the lead. With only five minutes left, it was do or die. It was obvious that Kagami wanted to return in the game Tsuchida calmed him down. The coach had just finished taping Kagami's feet, stating that it should last the rest of the game. As Kagami got up to get ready to go in, but the coach stopped him for a moment to say that without him they have no chance at winning. Then she went on to explain what they do is not very strong as it cannot bring out everyone's full potential and went on to say that she hates on relying on an injured player. Kagami then went on to say everything she does for the team and that she tends to do too much. He then says that going into the game with an apology does not energize him. The coach then has a determined look on her face and sends him out determined as well. Ryuto smiles a bit, what Kagami had just said, he himself was thinking about telling her. Ryuto begins to see his old team once again and begins to look back when a voice brings him back to reality.

"That's it, show some spirit." the voice says.

Then a person throws one arm around Kagami's shoulder. Ryuto immedialty recognizes who it is: Aomine Daiki.

"So you can entertain me even a little." Aomine says.

Ryuto grits his teeth as Aomine states that he doesn't want to play since they're in the lead and there's only one minute left. He then walks towards him and puts his hand on his shoulder. Aomine looks back to find someone he barely recognizes with his hand on his shoulder and hanging his head.

"You don't even remember me do you?" Ryuto says. "Yep, sorry but who are you?" Aomine asks lazily. "It doesn't matter who I am, right now there's no reason for me to be talking to you. Because I don't remember you either, you just looked familiar." Ryuto says as he turns away from someone he once knew.

Aomine ultimately agrees to play and he gets onto the court to play the remaining seconds of the game. Ryuto hangs his head holding onto the picture he thought would bring the person he knew back, but that person does not exist anymore. He looks down at the picture remembering the person he knew and wishing he could see him again. Ryuto can feel the tears forming in his eyes, he wipes them away not wanting anyone to see him as he was. _To think I could actually bring him back with a picture_ Ryuto thought to himself. He sat down on the bench, put away the picture, and continued to watch the game unfold. Aomine entered the game with the time at 31 seconds and with Tōō in the lead 49-39. Ryuto stared at the person entering the court, he knew deep down that Aomine would remember him, he just needed a spark. Ryuto watched as AOmine entered the court lazily as if not expecting much from the opponents. Aomine walked up to Kuroko, as if he was the only player that was on the court that mattered. They had a short conversation with Aomine saying that it would be impossible to beat him, but even with his blank expression, Kuroko was determined to win. The game resumed with Tōō inbounding the ball, which was passed to the brown haired boy. Tōō set up for offense, their set up consisted of leaving Aomine on one said alone and the others grouped up on the other. Ryuto studied the formation, he had seen it before, but knowing Aomine's skills it would work in Tōō's favor. Aomine started to dribble the ball low on the ground, he did quick crossovers which threw Kagami off balance and Aomine charged for the basket. Hyūga went to cut him off, but Aomine breezed through him with his speed. He went up for a dunk but was blocked by Kagami, much to everyone's amazement.

"He's gotten faster." Ryuto commented not taking eyes off the game. "What do you mean?" Furihata asked. "Last time I played him he was half as fast as he is now." Ryuto explained. "Wait, what do you mean by: 'Last time.'?" the coach asked. "I know two of the Generation of Miracles to a personal level, Aomine's one of them." Ryuto said still focusing on the game.

As Seirin got the rebound, they immediately went for a fast break to get in a shot. Hyūga passed it to Izuki, but he quickly noticed how fast Tōō set up for defense. Izuki passed the ball to Kuroko, who sent it straight for Kagami. Kagami went up for a dunk, but was blocked by Aomine, who had a smile on his face. Ryuto silently cursed at just how fast Aomine had gotten. With that block the buzzer sounded signaling the end of the second quarter. Aomine then complained on how he was not able to score any points, then complimented Seirin for not being "half bad." Ryuto tightened the grip on his fist and gritted his teeth at Aomine's comment, part of him wished he could punch him for the comment, but Ryuto restrained himself. As the team entered the locker room, Ryuto rested against the wall looking at the picture once again. For a reason he could not explain, Ryuto was drawn to it. Ryuto could hear the commotion about food and then saw the coach cowering in a corner mumbling to herself. Ryuto rolled his eyes and continued to stare at the picture. He then felt someone standing next to him, which was obviously Kuroko.

"If you're trying to sneak up on someone, try not to make your presence known." Ryuto commented not looking up. "I wasn't trying to sneak up on you. Is that you?" Kuroko asked. "Yeah it is, I'm pretty sure you can recognize the other two." Ryuto said. "Yes. Aomine-kun and Momoi-san." Kuroko said. "Well this was about 11 years ago." Ryuto explained. "You've known him for that long?" Kuroko asked. "Yep. I remember when we played, we would keep track of the wins and losses. As of this moment, I'm ahead by one." Ryuto said. "Interesting." Kuroko said.

Their conversation ended with Kuroko being called over by the coach. Ryuto decided he needed some fresh air and left the locker room. He walked towards a door to exit the gym and saw Aomine arguing with Satsuki about him being late. Ryuto scoffed and made his way towards them. When he heard something that really pissed him off.

"Is what we are to you, just some bothersome team?!" Ryuto shouted.

Aomine and Satsuki looked over to see Ryuto standing a few feet a way from them hanging his head. Satsuki walked towards him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Well look who it is. Now I remember you now. It's been awhile Ryu." Aomine said. "Now you remember me." Ryuto said still hanging his head. "I heard from Satsuki that you were at Seirin. When I heard we were playing you, I felt like I would finally have a challenge, but look at you. You're injured so I thought you wouldn't show, so this game meant less to me. Until I got to play them even without you they seem like an ok team." Aomine said mockingly. "You used a lot of "I's" in that monologue. In any case, our team has the capability to beat you." Ryuto said. "Tell me that when they beat me." Aomine said walking away. "You know I still have the lead in our games." Ryuto said not looking back. "That was years ago. That record doesn't matter anymore." Aomine said. "If doesn't matter why do you remember them?" Ryuto asked. "They remind me that there is someone who can be on my level." Aomine said walking away.

Ryuto tightened the grip of his fist, he was holding back the punch him even more than before. He looked up to find Satsuki still in front of him, she had not moved since. She then looked down at Ryuto's hands and saw the picture of when they were kids. She took it from him, with no resistance from him. She was getting emotional as she saw it remembering the day they had taken it.

"You still have this?" Satsuki asked. "Of course I do. It reminds me of everyone I know from here." Ryuto said taking back the picture. "You could see his attitude change when he saw you right?" Satsuki asked. "Yeah I did, but one day I will play him and I will beat him." Ryuto said with determination. "I'd better get back to my team." Satsuki said. "I should too. By the way, you know we can't win this right?" Ryuto asked. "Is that so?" Satsuki asked. "We don't have the strength to keep up with Aomine." Ryuto replied walking away.

Ryuto returned to his team as they were preparing to leave for the court. The coach yelled at him for disappearing, but Ryuto defended himself by saying that he needed some fresh air. From what was explained to Ryuto was that the brown haired by was now dubbed mushroom and number 4 was dubbed glasses, and that Kuroko would be subbed out during the third quarter, and that Aomine's containment was going to be Kagami's priority. Ryuto knew this was going to be the start of a downwards spiral, but he trusted his coach and the team with their decisions. As Seirin prepared for the next half, everyone fell silent as Aomine entered the court. Ryuto could tell he was warmed up and would play seriously. Now, more than ever, Ryuto wanted to play. He then felt a hand placed on his shoulder he looked down to see the coach.

"Yes?" Ryuto asked. "I want you to study him." the coach said. "Ok, but what for?" Ryuto asked. "Your analytical skills are good, I want to to study him to see if you can find a pattern in his mover." the coach explained. "I'll try, but he's one of the most random players I've ever met." Ryuto said.

Before the quarter began there was a stare down between Kagami an Aomine. The tension between the two was strong. A few moments later the quarter began. The quarter started with a fast pace, but slowed down when Aomine faced off against Kagami. As Aomine received the ball he had a cocky smirk on his face. He then began to dribble the ball slowly. Ryuto's eye's widened he knew what was about to happen. He did a crossover through his legs and blasted past Kagami. Ryuto gritted his teeth, his move is just a bit slower than his own Lightning Crossover. Then Mitobe and Tsuchida went to block his advance, but Aomine came to a complete stop and went for a fadeaway and scored, with Kagami almost blocking the shot. On the inbound the ball a thrown to Kagami who was already halfway down the court, when he received the ball he jumped for a dunk, but was blocked by Aomine, who managed to catch up with him. On the bench Fukuda commented on how the team was able to hold up and that they might be able to win. Ryuto inwardly appreciated the optimism, but he knew it damn near impossible to stop Aomine at this moment. When Tōō returned to offense the ball was immediately given to Aomine who started to dribble plus did some crossovers, then his movements became what could only be called unconventional. He pushed the ball over Kagami then spun around him and grabbed the ball again, and continued to to do the unconventional movements. He would also change his pace and rhythm in quick intervals, too quick for even Ryuto to track. Ryuto slammed his fist on to the bench in frustration, on the bench he could not analyze Aomine well enough to come up with a counter. He then more quick crossovers which caused Kagami to fall. His face realized what Ryuto already knew, Aomine was a street ball player. On the bench all eyes turned to Ryuto waiting answers.

"He's not the one I taught the ankle breaker to, if thats what you're thinking." Ryuto said. "Then what the hell was that?" the coach asked. "It's street basketball, it's bit faster in pace and in order to score it good to out maneuver your opponents. It looks like Aomine brought those skills here." Ryuto explained.

He then looked over to Kuroko, who had an unreadable expression on his face. He then looked back towards the game and saw Aomine going up for a layup. He was blocked by three people, but he kept moving forwards. He then threw the ball behind his head and over the backboard and into the net. Faces of accomplishment soon turned to faces of defeat. Ryuto looked towards Kagami who had a face of pure determination to win. The game contiuned with Tōō only passing towards Aomine, for him to score, and Kagami there to barely defend him. Aomine then got away from Kagami, using crossovers, and dribbled away from the basket. He then jumps up parallel to the basket. He then throws the ball at the basket hitting the backboard then going in. Everyone had a look of amazement at how Aomine shot the ball, while Ryuto continued to watch in frustration. On Seirin's inbound the ball was passed to Izuki, who passed it to Hyūga, who drove towards the basket. Mushroom went to block him, but he was screened by Mitobe. He then set up for a shot, but was blocked by the center. Tōō set up for offense by passing, again to Aomine, who started to dribble the ball slowly. He then pushed the ball in one direction while he went the other. Hyūga took the opportunity to try and grab the ball, but Aomine went back to receive it. _Damn it! He's even doing that_ Ryuto thought to himself. He then in a quick burst of speed drove towards the basket. Kagami went to stop his advance, but Aomine stopped and did a fadeaway. Aomine, however kept going down until he shot parallel to the ground and the ball went in. Everyone had a face of astonishment at Aomine's shot, Ryuto meanwhile could only watch as Aomine continued to dominate. On Seirin's offensive possession Izuki passed the ball to Kagami, who went up for a dunk, but was blocked before he could jump by Aomine. Aomine then sprinted down the court dribbling the ball with Kagami on his tail. He then jumped to take a shot and Kagami jumped to block him, but fouled Aomine in the process. Before Aomine landed he moved the ball to behind his back and shot from that position. It looked like time had slowed on everyone as the ball went through the basket, Ryuto looked at his teammeates who realized that Kagami had no chance against Aomine. He then turned to Seirin saying what he deeply believed, the only person who could beat him was himself. He then turned to Ryuto, who stood to meet his glance. Aomine then scoffed and went to shoot his free throw. He then walked over to Kuroko and called him out to play. The coach called his name, and Kuroko understood that he had to play, stating that he has had enough rest.

"Show me the strength of the new light and shadow." Aomine said.

Kuroko walked onto the court, the mood changed a little but not enough. Kagami apologized for not being able to stop Aomine, Kuroko said he did not understand then said he intended for them to win together. He then looked back at Ryuto, who gave him a thumbs up with a smile. The game continued with Tōō making a point after Glasses passed to the center to score a layup. Kuroko then grabbed the ball and did his full court pass to Kagami, who once he received it he darted down the court with Aomine close behind. Then Kagami passed the ball behind his back to Hyūga catching everyone by surprise. Hyūga then shot a three and made it in, much to the delight of the bench. On Tōō offensive possession number 7 passed towards Glasses, but the pass was cut off by Kuroko. He then passed to Izuki who scored a layup. On his way back Kuroko was stopped by Aomine who commented that Kuroko had not changed and that he could not win. Aomine then looked towards Ryuto, and said the same thing with just a look. On Seirin's next offensive possession Izuki passed it towards Kuroko who tried to send it towards Kagami, but was cut off by Aomine. Kuroko had a surprised look on his face as he saw Aomine receive the pass. Ryuto looked towards the coach who had a distressed look on her face.

"You should've expected that." Ryuto commented. "How was I supposed to know he could catch the Ignite Pass?" she asked distressed. "I see, Kuroko hasn't given you the backstory yet." Ryuto said. "Backstory?" the coach asked. "Aomine was Kuroko's light in middle school, he knows how he works. To be quite frank they all do." Ryuto explained. "Light?" the coach asked. "It's basically who Kuroko is going to send his passes to the most." Ryuto simplified.

Aomine then started to drive down the court, he easily outmaneuvered both Izuki and Hyūga as he headed down the court. The same would happen against Mitobe, Aomine breexed past him. Then both Kuroko and Kagami went up to block his dunk, but to no avail, he dunked over both of them. Aomine then taunted Kuroko, by saying he never improved and that Akashi was right about him. Ryuto's eyes widened as he mentioned Akashi, the one person he wanted to beat more than Aomine. Ryuto clenched his fist and gritted his teeth in anger at the mention of him.

"And what gives him, or you, the right to judge how someone plays?!" Ryuto yelled towards Aomine. "An player who can't back up what he says, isn't worth it." Aomine said not facing Ryuto. "Seijūrō has no right to criticize how people want to play basketball!" Ryuto yelled. "If something doesn't go his way he'll just say it's not the right way!" Ryuto explained.

The referee blew his whistle telling Ryuto to calm down and sit down or he'll be thrown out of the game. Ryuto sat back down and hung his head, starting to tear up at just how much everyone he cared about had changed. He could not even bring himself to watch the game.

"Ryuto." a voice called out.

Ryuto looked forwards and saw the coach kneeling in front of him.

"You keep a lot of feelings bottled up." the coach said concerned. "I usually let it all out in situations like these." Ryuto said. "To think you could get this emotional over one person." the coach said. "It's accumulated over time." Ryuto said. "Look at me." the coach said.

Ryuto looked up to find the coaches arms spread apart widely. He raised and eyebrow in confusion.

"What are you doing?" Ryuto asked. "I believe it's called a hug." the coach said with a smile.

Ryuto started to laugh and hugged her.

"Thanks I needed that." Ryuto said.

The game continued into the forth quarter with Tōō still in the lead 82-51. Despite all their efforts Seirin could not manage to cut the lead. Kuroko struggled to get his passes towards players and Kagami struggled to contain Aomine. At one point Kagami stopped moving for moment. Ryuto looked at the coach's expression and inferred something had happened to him. Kagami was later subbed out by Tsuchida, much to his disagreement. Eventually the coach yelled for him to come over. As he walked over Ryuto noticed a small gap in his steps. As he sat down he placed a towel over his head and stared blankly at the floor.

"He can't play anymore right?" Ryuto asked the coach. "Yeah and also for the rest of the championship league." the coach said. "Sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but it's bye, bye Inter High." Ryuto said. The coach responded with a nod.

Once Kagami was subbed out the game entered the downward spiral that Ryuto had predicted earlier. He could see at how much everyone was running out of stamina, but the will to play was still there although very faint. Aomine continued his taunts, Ryuto wanted to say something back but he had noting to say. He knew the only way to refute him was to play against him, something Ryuto was incapable of doing. Then Kuroko responded to the taunts by saying that that as long as someone still has the will to play the possibility of victory was zero percent. Ryuto looked at the blue haired boy with admiration, he saw someone else as he looked at him. His vision shifted and instead of Kuroko, saw someone wearing a red and yellow uniform and he had brown hair and green-brown eyes. Ryuto could see one of his middle school teammates someone with a similar personality to Kuroko. He then blinked and saw once again the blue haired boy. Kuroko's determination lit a fire in everyone, the fire to win no matter what. Ryuto smiled and started to cheer for his teammates on the court and everyone followed suit. But even with the newfound determination, Tōō continued to dominate the game. They scored point after point, but that still did not break the team's spirit to give 100 percent. The game ended with Seirin being completely overwhelmed 112-55, even so no one showed any visible sadness, but the stinging feeling of defeat was very present.

 **AN: And here ends another chapter, I think it was shorter than the previous game chapters, but you probably noticed why. I hope you enjoyed this one and expect the next chapter not next week but the week after, so stay tuned for that. If you have any suggestions, write them down in the reviews and I'll try to add that in. Remember to review, follow, and/or favorite if you're enjoying.**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Here we go new chapter! I know some of you have been waiting for a new one, so here it is. I took some time, due to being with family and Pokemon Go(shits real addicting). Well I hope you enjoy this chapter! Remember I do not own Kuroko no Basket I only own my character. By the way i've been thinking about changing the title of the story, what do you guys think? Keep it or change it.**

Chapter 8

Return of a King

Back in the locker room the team was still quiet about the recent loss. Ryuto rested against the wall handing his head. He honestly did not care about the next two games, they were sure to loose anyway. He felt his phone vibrate, but ignored it. Deciding to sulk instead of talk to whoever wanted to talk to him. Eventually the vibrating would not stop, so Ryuto pulled out his phone and looked at the screen. His eye's widened as he saw the name on his screen. As went to walk out of the room, the coach told him to comeback.

"Got an important phone call." Ryuto said as he hurried off.

Once again the phone vibrated waiting to be answered. Ryuto wondered if he should pick up, he knew the conversation that was about to happen. He then took in a deep breath and released it and answered his phone.

"I knew this call would come eventually, but not this soon." Ryuto said. "It's good to know you were expecting me, Ryuto." the voice responded. "What do you want Seijūrō?" Ryuto asked frustrated. "Just wanted to know how you feel after loosing to Daiki." Seijūrō. "If you want to know it felt pretty bad since I couldn't play. Also I bad mouthed you, and don't feel sorry about it." Ryuto. "Well it's good to know you still think about me." Seijūrō remarked. "You're one person I really want to beat." Ryuto said. "You could've probably done that if you hadn't gone to the same school as Tetsuya." Seijūrō commented. "And what gone to your school? Like hell." Ryuto said angrily. "Any other school could have used your abilities better, than such a fledgling school." Seijūrō said. "This is why I'm avoiding you. Your tone pisses me off." Ryuto commented. "Well anyways, I have to hang up now. Things to do." Seijūrō said. "Taunt all you want one day, my basketball, no our basketball, will beat yours." Ryuto said. "That's a bold threat, I'll be waiting for you and Tetsuya so you can back that up. Good-bye for now." Seijūrō said as he hung up.

Ryuto tightened his grip on the phone as he removed it from his ear. He gritted his teeth in frustration. He then went back towards his team that were starting to leave. The coach questioned where he went.

"My parents called, something about a package." Ryuto lied.

The coach and the team shrugged it off and continued to walk. As the locker room door closed Ryuto could see Taiga still talking with Kuroko about something. He tried to listen but they talked in hushed tones. Then Taiga walked out soon after followed by Kuroko. For the next two games of the Championship League Ryuto did not attend. For the first game, it had been because he was getting his cast removed, the second game he was moving in with Satsuki. But the real reason was that he did not feel like watching his team suffer. At Satsuki's house he placed the last of his belongings in his room. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and sat down on the bed. He moved his left ankle around, he felt no pain, but something still did not feel right to him. He let out a sigh and laid down staring at the ceiling, his thoughts revolved around wether or not the team could bounce back from such a defeat. He was stripped from his thoughts when he heard a knock on the door. He looked up to find Satsuki standing waiting to be invited in.

"You do know you can come in whenever you like?" Ryuto asked. "It's your room, so might as well ask for permission." Satsuki said with a smile.

She walked in and sat down next to him. They sat in silence, knowing what had just transpired between them.

"Aren't you supposed to be at your game?" Ryuto asked. "Shouldn't you?" Satsuki responded. "You got me there." Ryuto said with a small smile and raising his arms defensively. "We already won." Satsuki answered. "Thought as much, your team is really good. Even with out Aomine." Ryuto struggled a bit to say his name. "I guess your right." Satsuki said. "No hard feelings?" Ryuto asked. "None, we're family, we forgive each other fast." Satsuki said with a smile.

Ryuto spent the rest of that day getting ordered around by Satsuki on where everything should be placed in the room. At night he laid on his bed once again staring at the ceiling. He heard his phone ring, signaling that he got a message. He grabbed the phone and looked at the message.

 _We lost today. Looks like you were right, it's the end of the road. -Riko_

Ryuto sighed he expected a loss, but it still hurt to loose. He then responded back with some words of encouragement.

 _We'll win next time for sure! We'll just have to practice harder to beat tougher opponents. -Ryuto_

Ryuto set down the phone waiting for a response. It took some time, but it eventually came.

 _For some reason your positive attitude always makes me smile. Anyways, good night. -Riko_

Ryuto responded with his own good night and set the phone down, back on his desk. He then went to sleep thinking about the road ahead. Back at school Ryuto got word that Taiga was in the same boat as he once was, complete rest for two Ryuto was about to enter the changing room for practice, he heard Koga complain about practice after loosing a game. Ryuto sighed, it did suck to start practicing after loosing, but if it meant winning next time he would do it.

"What's so bad about practice after a game? What did I say about loosing, there's always something to learn!" Ryuto exclaimed as he entered.

Everyone turned their heads in surprise at Ryuto's entrance.

"Wait a minute, no crutches. Does that mean…" Izuki started to say as he looked downwards towards Ryuto's ankle. "You no longer have a cast! Does that mean you can comeback?" Izuki asked. "Yep, but nothing too much. Basically light exercises." Ryuto explained. "Either way, it's good to have you back Ryuto." Hyūga said. "It's good to be back." Ryuto said with a smile.

As practice began, the coach exclaimed that the drills were going to be three times as much as before. Everyone began to complain, but when the coach nonchalantly threatened for them to do four they quickly went to do three. Ryuto chuckled a bit at their misfortune, but that turned out to be a mistake.

"Don't think that you're getting off scot-free. I have something special for you." the coach said.

Ryuto gulped at what the coach had planned for him. While the team did drills to improve their fundamentals, Ryuto was doing all kinds of speed and agility drills. His drills ranged from suicides to short distance sprints, he could swear the coach was trying to destroy his ankle again. Ryuto looked towards the team and watched them, for a moment it looked like they were back to normal. But as practice went on he quickly realized, they still were not entirely into practicing yet. The coach then called everyone to gather around, Ryuto stopped his drills and went towards her.

"Everyone, do you remember what you said when you joined the team?" she asked.

Everyone minds flashed back to when they were on the roof and had to say what their goals were or they had to confess to the girl they loved naked. Furihata, Fukuda, and Kawahara started to shiver in fear at the possibility of having to do that.

"You don't want to do that right? Because use winter is pretty cold." she said threateningly. "Winter?" Kawahara questioned.

She went on to explain that Inter-High decides the strongest team in the summer, but there was also a winter championship. It was the largest and final championship, she went on to say the name but Ryuto cut her off.

"Winter Cup, I assume. It's probably a pun due to 'win' being in winter." Ryuto questioned.

Everyone turned to Ryuto with blank faces, clearly not amused with his observation.

"Carry on didn't mean to interrupt." Ryuto said nervously.

Everyone had their own respective comments about the event. While all that Ryuto could think about was being able to play Aomine once more and playing against Seijūrō. Then the coach told Hyūga that someone by the name of Teppei was coming back. Ryuto pondered on who could that be, he first wondered if it was a player, then his mind drifted to maybe a coach. He looked over to Hyūga who seemed a bit on edge at who was about to return. Furihata asked who he was and Izuki responded that he was the ace of the team and number seven. Back in the locker room everyone was wondering where Kagami was, with Koga saying that he has not seen him all week. Ryuto knew exactly where he was, but decided against saying anything.

"He has some of his own problems to deal with." Ryuto decided to say. "Care to elaborate?" Hyūga asked. "That's all I know. From what he's told me that is." Ryuto answered.

Koga then asked of Kuroko had talked to him. With Kuroko responding that they have not talked a lot recently. With that he left the room. Hyūga wondered if he was ok, then Izuki responded that he seemed like he ran up against a wall.

"I'll go talk to him." Ryuto said. "Thanks Ryuto." Hyūga said.

Ryuto walked towards the sound of a ball bouncing. He peeked through the door to find Kuroko bouncing the ball up and down staring at the basket. Ryuto smiled and walked towards him.

"You know if you need shooting practice, it's better to shoot at the basket instead of just staring at it." Ryuto commented. "You've known Kagami-kun the longest Ryuto-kun, do you know what's wrong with him?" Kuroko asked. "To be honest he's only like this when he's stuck between a rock and a hard place. At this moment you have the same problem." Ryuto said. "I don't get what you mean." Kuroko replied. "Well you-we-just lost our spot in Inter-High. And also we couldn't beat Aomine. Now Kagami said something to you, I have no idea what it could be, but it's clearly got your stomach in knots. Even if you don't show it." Ryuto explained.

Kuroko stayed silent staring at the ball, processing what Ryuto had told him. Ryuto then placed his hand on Kuroko's shoulder and smiled.

"There's always something to learn when you loose." Ryuto said.

He then took a shot that bounced off the rim and rolled towards a wall, but then a large hand stopped it. #2 went over to greet the new person, who proceeded to pet the dog.

"You're like how they said you were, not good at much except passing." the person said. "But who cares about that, I like your basketball." the person continued as he threw the ball back.

Ryuto caught it and looked at the person. He was clearly from the school since he wore the uniform, he had brown had and rather large eyebrows, his face however was concealed in darkness.

"Who are you?" Ryuto asked.

The person walked into the light and his full face was shown. He was taller than Ryuto and stood there eating candy.

"Want some candy?" the person asked. "I would like for you to stop dodging the question." Ryuto said. "Ahh so you're the blunt one who I've been told about. Anyways, I'm Kiyoshi Teppei." the person, now called Kiyoshi, said.

Kuroko asked if he really was the Kiyoshi they were just told about. He then proceeded to describe his name in a sing-song form. Ryuto could feel that Kiyoshi was the biggest boy scout he was ever going to meet. He then went to describe his last him, but not in a sing-song from. Kuroko then asked what did he want. Kiyoshi then began on how basketball was. Ryuto groaned at how much the guy talked. He then went on to say that he had never seen anyone like Kuroko before. He moved away from the two boy asking for a pass. Ryuto gave the ball to Kuroko, who passed it to Kiyoshi who drove to shoot a layup, but missed. Ryuto fought the urge to faceplam, this was the guy known as the ace. He then went on to continue to talk about how Kuroko played. He then went on to say that Kuroko should believe in himself a bit more. He then waved good bye and walked away.

"Hold on!" Ryuto called out. "Yes?" Kiyoshi asked. "You just spouted out some kind of weird philosophy and you just leave. Also you have nothing to say about me?" Ryuto asked. "Well for me to say something about you I have to see it, or at least that what Riko says." Kiyoshi said as he walked off.

Ryuto stared at Kiyoshi leave wide eyed, he had just met one of the strangest people.

"That last comment of yours sounded like you were jealous." Kuroko commented. "I am not! It's just that…well maybe a bit." Ryuto said scratching the back of his head. "It's getting late, I say we head home." Kuroko said. "I couldn't agree more." Ryuto responded grabbing his bag. "By the way, I've been meaning to ask: how is living with Momoi-san." Kuroko asked. "Well it's a bit difficult, due to some kind of sense that everything needs to be perfect. But she's family and I like having her around she's always so bright. It sometimes scares me honestly." Ryuto said as the two walked out of the gym.

During the next practice Ryuto stretched while talking with Kuroko. Then Kagami entered the gym after being gone for a week. Ryuto sighed and went back to his stretches. Soon after someone else entered the gym, Ryuto looked up to find Kiyoshi wearing the game uniform. Hyūga then went towards him and asked if he was returning for real and scolding him for wearing his uniform. Kiyoshi went to change into practice clothes and then described why he was out. He explained that he was out due to an injury and he was returning after doing rehab. Izuki asked if he learned anything new, to which he responded with card games. Izuki and Hyūga scolded him for it not being related to basketball. Kiyoshi then asked where Inter-High was being held and was answered with frustration. Ryuto face palmed, he could not believe this was Kiyoshi the ace of Seirin. The team went on to do games against each other, while Ryuto did more speed and agility training. During one of his breaks he saw Kagami barreling through his defenders drawing a charging foul, he then angrily returned to defense. Ryuto observed his demeanor, he then inferred that loosing to Aomine somewhat changed him. The others began to notice his change in demeanor as well. Kiyoshi then asked if Kagami would have a one-on-one against him for the starting position on the team. Ryuto stared at Kiyoshi, his facial expression looked like he was plotting something with the challenge. The two set themselves up for a quick game, with Kiyoshi starting with the ball. Ryuto gathered with the rest of the team to watch them play. Kiyoshi then faked going in one direction to go the other and got passed Kagami. Ryuto was amazed at his speed, despite his size. Kiyoshi then went up for a layup, but was blocked by Kagami. Kagami was next with the ball, he tried to do something similar to Kiyoshi, but was stopped. He then pushed forwards and spun to get around him. He drove for the basket and went to dunk, but Kiyoshi arrived to block him. Kagami then ducked under Kiyoshi and dunked. Kiyoshi congratulated Kagami on his victory and said that, as promised he could start. With that victory Kagami left the gym, leaving everyone behind. Izuki commented on what Kiyoshi was thinking and then followed by the coach hitting him across the head. Kiyoshi stated was because he was out of practice, but Hyūga then said that he was wearing shoes that were not for playing basketball. Everyone was in disbelief at what had just been said, even Ryuto was in amazement at Kiyoshi. Hyūga then asked if lost on purpose, with Kiyoshi subtly agreeing to it, and with theta practice concluded. As eveyone left, Ryuto stayed behind dribbling a ball staring at the basket.

"Ryuto-kun! Come on I got to lock up!" the coach called out. "Just leave the key by my bag. I'll lock up then give you the key tomorrow." Ryuto responded. "Ok then, but you better not forget." she said.

Ryuto smiled back and waved goodbye as she walked out the door. _She reminds me of someone_ Ryuto thought to himself. He then focused on the basket and set himself in a triple threat stance. He dribbled the ball with his left hand at the half court line. He then crossed over to his right, with a slight move forwards, then back to his left moving back. Once again forwards with his right then going in a full sprint with the ball back in his left hand. He drove towards the basket and jumped, not reaching the basket he gave the ball a push as his hand grazed the rim. Ryuto landed back on the ground, followed by the ball. Ryuto picked up the ball and did it again. He stopped when he realized that he could not dunk and that someone was watching him.

"Shouldn't you have gone home by now, Kuroko?" Ryuto asked. "You should too." Kuroko answered. "Why do you insist on watching me?" Ryuto asked. "I don't know really." Kuroko answered.

Ryuto stopped dribbling the ball and looked over to him. His face was blank, but his eyes had several emotions. Ryuto walked over to him and placed his on Kuroko's shoulder.

"What are you thinking about?" Ryuto asked. "About Kagami-kun." Kuroko asked. "If your wondering if he'll ever be himself again, he will. He just needs time." Ryuto said. "Well its not just that. It's also that maybe I was wrong choosing him." Kuroko said.

Ryuto's eye's widened in surprise. Ryuto mind then played several scenarios on what he was going to say next. Ryuto then took in a deep breath and calmed himself down.

"What do you mean by that?" Ryuto asked. "I chose him because we had similar goals and interests. But after Aomine, maybe he only wants to get stronger by himself." Kuroko explained. "And what do you mean by that?" Ryuto asked. "You were the quickest to bounce back form the loss. I, myself, am having trouble recuperating. So maybe if I were to become your shadow, and not Kagami's, I could become stronger." Kuroko said staring up at Ryuto.

Ryuto broke the gaze the two had by staring up and thinking about a response. He mind raced with possible answers, which ranged from saying yes to saying no. He then settled on his response. He looked back down to Kuroko, who eye's seemed desperate for answer. Ryuto took in a deep breath before speaking.

"When we met I told you my low presence is like an on and off switch, right?" Ryuto asked.

Kuroko responded with a nod and gestured for him to continue.

"Do you know how it's an on and off switch?" Ryuto asked. "When you do your Lightning Crossover." Kuroko answered. "Exactly. I turn it on and disappear. But it's not only that, I'm a lot faster than I've shown." Ryuto explained. "How so?" Kuroko asked. "Well back in middle school I had a team mate who could drat up and down the court in what could be called an instant. We timed him and it was like 5 seconds, but the point is he was fast. I trained my self in order to compete with his speed. And eventually I caught up to him, but he would just kept going faster. You understand where I'm getting at?" Ryuto asked. "Not really." Kuroko said. "I'm saying that individual training is good. It helps one improve oneself, and it usually happens when you see something and you want to surpass that. Now do you get it?" Ryuto asked. "I believe so." Kuroko answered. "In case you didn't. Let Taiga do personal training, it's how he's going to coup with that loss. But don't let him do too much by himself or what happened to Aomine will happen to him." Ryuto explained. "Thanks Ryuto-kun. You really are a philosopher sometimes." Kuroko said with a slight smile. "No problem. How about we head home?" Ryuto asked. "Yes." Kuroko said.

Ryuto locked up the gym and followed Kuroko towards the entrance of the school, where the two parted ways. The next day of practice the coach annouced that the next three days are going to be practice games. On one of those practice game, the first years, minus Ryuto, played against the first opponents. The coach said that she put the first years in because Kiyoshi asked her too. Koga then came up with a complicated reason on why they were staring. Kiyoshi congratulated Koga for his analyis, while subtly denying he did not think that. The bench watched as the first years played. Ryuto noticed Kuroko was back at more or less 100%, he passed as if nothing had happened. Ryuto smiled, maybe his words did reach him. Ryuto noticed that Kuroko was not passing to Kagami, in fact Kagami was not even looking for the ball. Ryuto looked over to the coach who seemed to have had figured it out as well. The game ended with Seirin's win by two points. Furihata, Kawahara, and Kukuda were joyus about the victory, while Kagami seemed indifferent and Kuroko was off on his own. Ryuto sighed, maybe his talk did not work as he intended it to. As both Kagami and Ryuto walked home, Kagami wanted to stop at the basketball court to practice. Ryuto asked if wanted to do a one-on-one, to which he responded yes. Kagami started with the ball, while Ryuto set himself in a defensive position. Kagami the tried to drive, but felt the ball on longer in his hands. Kagami looked down surprised, while Ryuto stood at the three point line with a mischievous grin. Kagami then set up for defense while Ryuto passed the ball to his right hand. He started to dribble slowly, then quickly crossed over to his left and drove for the basket; leaving a stunned Kagami in his wake. Ryuto made the lay up then grabbed the ball and passed it back to Kagami.

"You think too much, and thats 1-0." Ryuto said. "Shut up. I'll get you this time!" Kagami shouted.

He then set up for offense while Ryuto set up for defense. Ryuto saw as Kagami closed his eyes. Kagami stepped to the left then moved back to the right and drove for the basket. Ryuto caught up to him, but he stopped and moved back. Ryuto reeled back in surprise as Kagami set up for a shot.

"Kagami-kun!" a low voice cried out.

Both boy stopped moving and looked over to find Kuroko, with his hands on his knees panting.

"Kuroko?" Kagami said in surprise. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" Kuroko asked. "Well this is about to get personal so I'm going to go. See you guys tomorrow." Ryuto said. "Don't leave yet, I want you to hear this." Kuroko said.

Ryuto stopped walking and looked back in surprise. He turned to face his teammates waiting for their conversation to started. Kagami asked what he wanted to talk about, but Kuroko apologized saying that he did not have all his thoughts together yet. Ryuto sighed while Kagami seemed annoyed. Kuroko asked for a minute to gather up his thoughts, but Kagami responded by passing the basketball to him, saying that he could think while they play. Ryuto sat at a bench while the two played. By the fourteenth point Ryuto was staring to get bored at watching Kagami dominate Kuroko, but nonetheless he stayed to hear their conversation. Kagami went on to tsay that the first time they played the same thing happened and that when he found out what he could he he was amazed. Kagami then asked Kuroko what he chose him to be his light.

"Why not Ryuto? He's clearly your type of play style." Kagami said. "Don't bring me into this!" Ryuto said frustrated.

Kuroko then apologized once again for lying and saying that the Generation of Miracles stopped trusting him. He went on to say that as each of them got stronger, they began to focus on themselves rather than the team. So for that reason they stopped trusting him. He went on to say that he could have chose anyone, and that he even thought about using Ryuto, but he ended up choosing Kagami because he wanted to force the Generation of Miracles to notice his basketball style. Kagami then said that he understood what he was talking about and that everyone had their own reasons for playing basketball, but Kuroko stopped him mid-sentence. He said that Kagami had always trusted him, thats why he was different from the Generation of Miracles. He then said that the words he said to him after the Tōō game were not parting words, but saying that they needed to improve themselves in order to get stronger, so when they combine they can be even stronger than before.

"It's something similar to what Ryuto told me." Kuroko said. "I like the honorable mention, but please stop bringing me into this conversation." Ryuto said.

He then said to be able to correct himself and that he likes playing at Seirin. He then said that he's no longer the phantom sixth man of the Generation of Miracles, but a first year of Seirin High. He went on to say that he's the one thats going to beat the Generation of Miracles and become the best in Japan. Kagami scoffed and passed the ball to Kuroko who threw it towards the basket for Kagami to dunk. As he did so he said they they are going to be the best. As the three walked towards each others homes, Kagami asked Kuroko how he was going to get stonger. Kuroko said that he did not know, but he was going to find a way before the Winter Cup. Kagami and Kuroko reconciled with a fist bump, with Kagami saying he is expecting something when winter rolls around.

"Isn't that great, we're all friends again." Ryuto said happily. "By the way Ryuto." Kuroko said. "What's up?" Ryuto asked. "How will you improve for the winter?" Kuroko asked. "Yeah I'm wondering that too. If I leave you behind I'll never forgive you, captain." Kagami said with a smile. "Well I'm trying to capitalize on this new ability I discovered recently." Ryuto said. "What kind of ability?" Kuroko asked. "Have you guys ever heard about the zone?" Ryuto asked.

 **AN: And here comes to a close this chapter. Since I only covered two episodes of the summer training arc and they were both non-game episodes so I added a few things in, mostly for character development. I'm thinking about doing more chapters that are less about episodes from the show, but more like original ideas. What do you guys think about that. I said before that I wont be doing a pairing or stuff like that, but they way I've been writing seems like I'm doing oc x riko, I'll probably continue to drop subtle hints and, if you guys want, I'll maybe do a chapter dedicated to that. What do you guys think? Let me know. Expect the next chapter in the near future, school starts soon so I'm gearing up for that. Anyways hope you enjoyed and if you have any ideas tell me and I'll try to put them in. Remember to review, follow, and/or favorite if your liking the story.**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Here is chapter 9. Sorry to keep you waiting, but I have a lot of other things on my plate right now. I'm almost finished with season 1 of KnB, so yeah it only takes 10 chapters. But anyways hope you enjoy this new chapter. Also I see a few new faces have liked this story, thanks guys! The questions I asked last chapter are still up in the air, so feel free to answer them.**

Chapter 9

Summer

The next day Ryuto was in his class waiting for the day to end. He was not paying attention to the lesson, but rather trying to avoid the gazes from both Kagami and Kuroko. Ever since he told the two about the zone they wanted to know more. Ryuto was honest with them that all he knew was what the doctor had already told him. When the bell rang for lunch he turned to face the stares of his friends, who seemed to be begging for answers.

"I already told you that I don't know a lot about the zone!" Ryuto said frustrated. "But you can't leave us hanging like that." Kagami said. "Kagami-kun is right Ryuto-kun, we still don't fully understand." Kuroko affirmed. "Look, what I told you is all that I know. Now please leave me alone." Ryuto said getting up from his seat. "Where are you going?" Kagami asked. "Bathroom. Then somewhere thats none of your damn business." Ryuto said leaving the room.

As he walked down the hallway to the bathroom he saw Hyūga and the coach walking in front of him. To Ryuto they seemed to be talking about something, but he could not make it out. As he passed them the coach stopped him.

"Ryuto-kun, I need your opinion on something." the coach said. "Sure, what do you need? But I should tell you I'm not very good at making decisions " Ryuto said nervously. "Well where do you think would be better to go, the beach or the mountains?" the coach asked. "I really hope that this about training. Well to be completely honest, both places have their upsides and downsides." Ryuto said. "That doesn't answer my question." the coach said. "Well, how about…both?" Ryuto asked.

He looked at the coach's expression, which seemed to have been momentarily confused then changed to one that seemed happy. She then turned to Hyūga to say something to him.

"I think Ryuto-kun has the right idea." the coach said as she continued walking.

Ryuto looked towards Hyūga who seemed to radiate a small amount of rage. He then grabbed Ryuto by the arms and pulled him towards him so they were eye to eye.

"What the hell did you just do?" Hyūga asked. "Gave an opinion." Ryuto said nervously.

The school day continued, and for Ryuto it still seemed to go too slow. Eventually practice rolled around at the end of the school day. Everyone gather around the coach since she had an announcement to make. She said that in the time until Winter Cup, the team was going to take two training trips; one to the beach and another to the mountains. Ryuto could feel the intense stares of his seniors, which he tried to hide by looking as innocent as possible. Hyūga went on to explain that the qualifiers for the Winter Cup were after summer vacation ends. With that they were dismissed to start practice. During practice Ryuto was set aside to continue to do the speed and agility drills, but eventually did basic layup practice and free throws. He felt no pain on his ankle, but he still did not feel 100%. As practice ended Ryuto continued to shoot layups and free throws. Behind him he could hear the bickering of Kuroko and Kagami about #2, Ryuto smiled slightly everything was normal. When Ryuto was about to shoot another free throw he heard Hyūga call everyone to gather around, because he had important news. He said that the team was currently facing a grave danger. He said that in order to do both trips, they had to find cheap lodging and that they had to make their own food. Ryuto did not see a problem with making his own food, he understood the reason for keeping costs low, but he struggled to find any real issue. He then heard Hyūga say that the problem lies within making the food. Hyūga went on to say that the coach will be coking for them. Furihata asked what Ryuto was thinking, was it really all that bad that she was cooking? Hyūga continued by reminding everyone what had happened at the Tōō game with her honey soaked lemons. Ryuto tried to remember, but he could not remember that happening. He looked over to see how uneasy everyone was about the fact. Ryuto decided to dismiss it until something bad actually happened. Eventually the team gathered in a classroom for a tasting. Everyone was wondering weather or not someone else could cook besides the coach. Eventually Ryuto was asked if he could cook anything.

"I mean I cook a bit of things not all that much. But what's so bad about her?" Ryuto asked. "Don't you remember the lemons?" Izuki asked. "What lemons?" Ryuto asked. "How can you not remember?" Koga asked. "I left the room and before that… well I wasn't paying much attention to anything." Ryuto admitted nervously. "He's hopeless." everyone said in unison.

The coach announced that the food was ready and she said she made curry. Eveyone looked down to find rice covered with sauce and whole vegetables. Ryuto pocked at it for a second before taking a bite out of it. He was hit by a bunch of flavors all at once, all in all it tasted pretty bad, if he was not hungry; which at the moment he was. He could feel the stares of everyone as he finished the food without complaining. He looked up from his empty plate to meet the stares of everyone.

"What I was hungry?" Ryuto admitted. "So you liked it?" the coach asked happily. "Sorry for being blunt but… it tasted pretty bad, but I was hungry so I ate it anyway." Ryuto said.

Hyūga decided to finish the plate as well to make the coach feel happy. When he finished he stood up saying that it was not bad and he needed something to drink. Kiyoshi then did the same thing saying that she made it with the most important ingredient. Izuki went out to check on Hyūga while Kiyoshi started to sweat uncontrollably asking for someone to teach her how to make food. Eventually Kagami stood and started to make some food. When he finished everyone tasted it and said that is was amazing, even Ryuto admitted it tasted good. The coach then asked if she could have Kagami teach her how to cook, to which Kagami agreed. During this round of curry Ryuto felt the same way the team had felt the first time, but a bit more sick to the stomach. Kuroko then said that it tasted good. Izuki cautioned Kuroko to not take it too far, but Kuroko adamantly repeated that it tasted good. Kiyoshi asked if he served himself, to which Kuroko admitted he did. Kiyoshi then asked for the coach to serve another serving. Everyone saw the procedure she used to out it on the plate, everyone noticed that she started to sprinkle something it. Koga then pointed out what she was sprinkling on, which the coach said was Vitamin C power and protein. Everyone began to say that that was the problem, and everyone was served once more without the supplements. Finally stating that it was normal. Ryuto began to clench his stomach after eating once more. He then got up from the chair to go towards the bathroom.

"Ryuto you all right?" Izuki asked. "Nope gotta head to the bathroom real quick." Ryuto responded running out of the room. "Must have been for finishing the first plate and then eating more." Hyūga inferred with the rest of the team agreeing.

Ryuto got his room at his cousins house with a pretty bad stomach ache. _Maybe it was a mistake eating all of that_ Ryuto thought. He laid down on the bed staring at the ceiling. His mind warped back to the loss against Tōō and Aomine's words. His thoughts then shifted to what Seijūrō had said to him over the phone. Winter was soon to come around and he needed to be ready for when it came, he had a score to settle with one person and a fight against another. His thoughts then shifted to the new ability he had unlocked; the Zone. _Just what is the Zone_ Ryuto thought to himself. He doubted Satsuki knew even with her knowledge on basketball. His mind then changed to the doctor who had first explained to him what the Zone was, but he had no way to find him, Ryuto only knew his first name. He then thought about the coach he had promised to tell her if what happened during the Seiho game, were to happen again he would tell her. He then grabbed his phone and typed a message to the coach asking if he could meet up with her somewhere as soon as possible. He got a message to meet her at the burger place near school, she was there at the moment. He grabbed a jacket from the closet and told his aunt and uncle he was going out to meet someone and would be back soon. He then began to run towards the place where they were supposed to meet. He saw her through the window and turned to enter the place. She waved over to him so he could come over to sit. He sat down and they stayed quiet for a few moments.

"Sorry to ask you to meet up so late." Ryuto apologized. "No need to apologize. Your message seemed pretty urgent that you wanted to meet. So what's up?" the coach asked. "Do you remember what I told you happened to me during the Seiho game?" Ryuto asked. "About your vision blurring and passing to Hyūga, I remember." the coach answered. "Well it happened again, during the Shutoku game." Ryuto said.

The coaches eyes widened in surprise. Ryuto partially expected that reaction.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" the coach asked. "Well after everything that's been going on it slipped my mind. But I might have an answer for you." Ryuto replied. "Well don't leave me in suspense." the coach said. "From what I was explained, its called the Zone." Ryuto said.

The coaches eyes once again widened in surprise. Ryuto could feel that she knew what he was talking about.

"You know something about it?" Ryuto asked. "Not a lot, but I'm sure my dad knows." the coach said. "And is your dad around so I can ask him?" Ryuto asked. "No he's at home, but if you come with me I'm sure he can explain it you." the coach said. "Wait to your house?" Ryuto asked in surprise. "Yes, now come one." the coach said urging him to get moving.

The two walked in a hurried pace towards the coaches house, which may have seemed like a longer trip if they were not hurrying. Eventually they made it to the coaches house. Ryuto felt really nervous as he stood in front of the door, time seemed to slow around him as she opened the door. He then stopped her from going in by placing his hand on her shoulder.

"We don't have to do this now, I can come by another day." Ryuto said.

"What do you mean by that?" a voice said.

Ryuto looked up to find a man standing in the doorway. He wore a black sweatshirt and grey pants and redish-brown hair. His facial expression did not show much, but eyes seemed furious. He seemed to be studying Ryuto. The man looked towards Ryuto's hand on the coaches shoulder and quickly removed it.

"Riko, who's this?" the man asked. "Dad, stop scaring my friend. He's also on the basketball team." the coach explained.

"Hello, Mr. Aida. I was just walking home when I ran into your daughter on the way. I just continued to walk with her until I realized I went in the wrong direction." Ryuto tried to defend himself. "Really?" the coach said. "What I got nervous is all." Ryuto said.

"Clearly thats a lie, why are you with my daughter? You said you are with the basketball team, I don't recognize you." Mr. Aida said. "Dad he's the guy I told you about, the one who has a lightning fast crossover." the coach explained. "Oh this is the guy, then why didn't you say so before." Mr. Aida said with a completely different demeanor.

Ryuto sighed in relief at how everything settled down.

"No, but why are you with my daughter at this time?" Mr. Aida asked. "I'm here to ask you a question, Mr. Aida." Ryuto replied. "Then ask." Mr. Aida said. "What is the Zone?" Ryuto asked.

Mr. Aida's eyes widened and he closed the door behind him and sat down on the steps leading to the door. He took in a deep breath before saying anything.

"Why do you ask?" Mr. Aida asked. "Because, I believe I have experienced it recently." Ryuto said. "How much do you know about it?" Mr. Aida asked. "Other than what Mr. Igaku said not a lot." Ryuto admitted. "You met Igaku Ishi?" Mr. Aida asked "Yeah he's the one who looked at my ankle after it got busted during the Shutoku game." Ryuto explained. "Well he should've explained it better to you, since that's what got him injured in the first place, but thats another story, right now you want answers." Mr. Aida said. "Yes, please." Ryuto said. "Sit down then, it's a long story." Mr. Aida said.

Ryuto sat down on the steps and so did the coach. Ryuto listened to every word Mr. Aida had to say. He explained everything from what it was, what it meant, to how it changes oneself. After hearing everything, Ryuto took a deep breath and released it. He was trying to process everything he had just heard. Never could he have imagined the Zone being something like that, so much power. He looked up to find Mr. Aida standing up and walking into his house.

"Thanks Mr. Aida." Ryuto said. "It's no problem, and call me Kagetora." Kagetora said walking back into his home.

"Thats a lot to take in." Ryuto said. "Ryuto-kun you have to keep this a secret for now." the coach said. "Too late for that, I already told Kuroko and Taiga. But I'll tell them to stay quiet." Ryuto said. "That'll be another trump card." the coach said eagerly. "No doubt." Ryuto said.

He turned to leave when the coach stopped him with her stern voice.

"You're just going to leave." the coach said. "Well I got to get back home, my aunt is probably going crazy." Ryuto said. "Ok, well good night." the coach said somewhat somberly. "No need to be somber we'll see each other soon." Ryuto said with a smile. "Good night Ryuto-kun." the coach said. "Good night, uh, Riko." Ryuto said walking away.

Ryuto then sprinted off back to his house, where he knew hell waited for him. The summer vacation began and so did summer training at the beach. Everyone seemed to be excited to be at the beach, but they all knew it was for training and not for fun. Kagetora then threatened if anyone laid a hand on his daughter he would kill them.

"Ryuto, good luck your predicament." Kagetora said before driving off. "I think he likes me." Ryuto said to the coach. "I think so too." she responded with a smile.

Izuki then pointed out the basketball court on the sand. The coach explained that this was to train them to get better, and also to train their individual skill. She went on to explain that the individual training was so that when they combined as a team they could be even stronger. She then took off her shirt revealing a black undershirt much to everyone's surprise and stating that the training camp was about to begin. Ryuto was once again set aside for the team practice and he did his usual training, which was triple what it usually was. As he finished his last drill he drank some water and took off his shirt to get the breeze to cool him down. He wiped the sweat all over his body with a towel and sat on the sand watching everyone practice. The coach then walked over and stood over him with a stern look.

"Done already?" the coach asked. "Yep, just catching a breather. Before you give me something else. I swear you want to destroy my ankle." Ryuto said. "I'm just trying to strengthen it so it won't happen again. I am bit concerned about you and Teppei, especially you." the coach said with a softer tone. "Why's that?" Ryuto asked. "You seem fully healed, but something is bothering you. Is it the Zone and how it will affect your body?" the coach asked. "You can defiantly read me like a book." Ryuto said. "Well just forget about that and focus. If this new ability is what's holding you back then don't try to use it again." the coach said turning away and back towards the rest of the teams practice.

Ryuto sighed and stared at the sky, he wondered when he would be able to show his new ability. During the evening the team moved to an indoor court to practice. Ryuto sat against the wall watching the team practice, they seemed to have improved their footwork after training in the sand. Ryuto's body started to twitch he wanted to play again really badly. He continued to watch the team everyone seemed to have improved in a span of a few hours. At night, back at the inn, Ryuto helped the other stretch out since he already did so. After he was done he went over to Kuroko and Kagami who had just finished a conversation.

"Can I ask you two for a favor?" Ryuto asked the two. "Yeah sure." Kagami said. "Keep what I told you the other day between us three. I don't want people finding out just yet." Ryuto said. "I understand Ryuto-kun. My lips are sealed." Kuroko agreed. "Thanks Kuroko. And you Taiga?" Ryuto said. "Don't worry I won't say anything." Kagami said. "Thanks." Ryuto said walking away.

At night Ryuto walked up and down the halls thinking about everything. What it meant to have an ability like he did and if he should use it. But he was still afraid of what it might do to him, if it would make him just like the one's he was trying to save. He eventually made it to a balcony where he stood against the railing letting the breeze mess his hair up even more. He sighed his questions only led to more questions that he wished he had answers for.

"You think too much." a voice call out.

Ryuto looked back to find the coach standing in the doorway studying him.

"Sorry, I've been thinking a lot." Ryuto said. "I can see that." she said standing next to him. "Nice view." she said. "It helps me think." Ryuto said. "If your worried about something, I told you to forget about it." the coach said. "I know it just that-" Ryuto said before being cut off. "But nothing, you just have to accept what you have in your arsenal and roll with it." the coach said sternly.

Ryuto turned back towards the view. To him she was making sense, her logic was spot on. He sighed as he ran a hand threw his hair and placed his hand back on the the railing, but felt something other than the wood. He looked down to see his hand touching the coaches. They both looked at each other and reeled back. Ryuto placed one hand behind his head and the other in his pocket and turned his head away which was bright red.

"Well thanks for the pep talk. Good night." Ryuto said walking off in a hurry.

When morning came, Ryuto woke up with with the sun hitting his eyes. He got up and went to the bathroom to freshen up. Soon after Kuroko appeared followed by Kagami. Ryuto looked towards Kagami who looked like he barely slept. Then to Kuroko who's bedhead was about to be subject of a joke.

"Umm Kuroko?" Ryuto asked. "Yes Ryuto-kun" Kuroko responded. "Don't you have aliens to fight while looking constipated for a good five episodes?" Ryuto asked.

Kagami started to laugh getting the reference and the joke. Ryuto started to laugh as well, while Kuroko remained oblivious to what was being laughed about. Then the three heard a voice that they immediately recognized. The three tried to stay as still as possible as two people walked by. The two then looked back to see the three. The two people were Takao and Midorima. Midorima, Takao and Kagami seemed surprised while Kuroko politely said hello. Midorima asked what they were doing here while Takao explained that Shutoku would always come here to train.

"Hey Tao good to see you!" Ryuto exclaimed. "Good to see you too, Ryu-chan. I see you lost the cast and the crutches." Takao responded. "Yep good as new." Ryuto said.

Midorima and Kagami were arguing about why each one was at the inn. When the conversation was interrupted by the coach saying that they were waiting for them in cafeteria. Everyone looked at the coach who held a knife covered in red stains while her clothes and face were also covered in the red stains. Everyone shivered in horror and what the red stains could be.

"Since when did this trip become _The Shining_!?" Ryuto exclaimed in fear.

Since both Shutoku and Seirin were in the same training area the coach decided to have practice games against them. Ryuto was once again told to sit out, but was told to go join Kagami in getting everyone drinks at a convenience store 500 meters away. The two started their trip while the other practiced. Everyone once in a while Kagami would ask Ryuto about the Zone, to which Ryuto would partially explain what it was. Kagami seemed to be poised to unlocking that ability as well, to which Ryuto responded by rolling his eyes. Ryuto finished his half of the errand before Kagami so he had a bit more time in the shower. He let the water run, he continued to think about his new found ability. He wondered if he should ask someone else about it, but then he could hear the coach telling him stop worrying so much. _Maybe she's right. Maybe I am worrying too much about this_ Ryuto thought to himself. Ryuto walked out of the shower and went back towards the room. As he walked he looked towards where he was yesterday and saw the coach there. He smiled a walked over to her.

"If you're looking for me, I wasn't coming over here." Ryuto said as he walked up to her. "I just thought you would be here is all." the coach said. "Riko, just like you told me: stop worrying. I'm fine." Ryuto said with a smile. "Yeah you're right. Well good night." she said walking away. "Yeah good night." Ryuto said.

The next day there was another practice game against Shutoku, which Seirin lost. Ryuto was once again sidelined and could only watch his team try their best to keep up. The heat was intense, even without playing Ryuto was sweating. Ryuto could vaguely hear what Shutoku's coach was saying, all he could understand was that without both Kagami and Ryuto Seirin seemed to be stronger. Ryuto smiled, even if he was not playing hearing praise for the team was always something good to hear. The coach led them to a bunch of trash cans with ice in them to help with the sore muscles. Ryuto laughed as all the players struggled to get used to the cold. Deciding to leave them to the cold Ryuto returned to the gym to practice his shots. He dribbled the ball next to him with his right hand staring at the basket. His mind then went to when he saw Aomine play against Seirin, the strange crossover he did to Hyūga. _What if I can create something like that, but can go both ways depending on how someone defends it_ Ryuto thought to himself. He then set himself up for a drive. He drove from the half court line, once he made it to the three point line he did a cross over through the legs and did not try to grab it. He first imagined someone following the ball; so he tapped the ball back towards his right a drove towards the basket. Or at least that was the plan, he took to long to decide and the ball was to far away for him to tap it. Ryuto sighed as he went to grab the ball, to try again the new move. He continued to practice the move until sundown which was when he finally got the move to work. He released a breath as he walked over to the towel he set aside. He took off his shirt and dried himself off. He took a drink of water and sat on the floor with his back against the wall. _I will make this move work, but there is still a part of me worrying_ Ryuto thought to himself. He got up and put on a dry shirt and walked out of the gym. He continued to dribble the ball doing crossover every so often as he walked back towards the guesthouse. When he was about to enter he saw Kagami talking to the coach. He then saw Kagami jump and hit the back board. Ryuto stared in amazement at how high he jumped. Kagami jumped again, but this time with his right leg and the jump was higher. Ryuto was once again amazed at the height of his jump. Then a thought raced through Ryuto's mind: _What if she's training us to make our strengths even stronger?_ He looked up to find the coach entering the guesthouse and Kagami on the floor. Deciding to leave Kagami to his thoughts, Ryuto hurried and followed the coach into the guesthouse. He then called out to her to ask her a question.

"Can I ask you something?" Ryuto asked. "Sure." she answered. "I just saw what you did with Taiga, and I've got say thats impressive. But then a thought occurred to me." Ryuto said. "I thought I told you to stop thinking about that." she said raising an eyebrow. "This is completely unrelated to that. Are you purposely setting us aside to do personal training to strength our greatest assets?" Ryuto asked. "It took you that long to figure that out. I thought honestly thought you were one of our smartest players." the coach said mockingly. "Very funny. I thought this was just to strengthen my ankle so, maybe, it won't get busted a second time." Ryuto explained. "Well that was part of it." the coach admitted. "Well I guess that answers pretty much everything. Well good night, see you tomorrow." Ryuto said walking off to the showers.

After Ryuto entered the guesthouse, Kagami had a one-on-one against Midorima; who was able to stop Kagami from scoring. Midorima explained to Kagami that he was too predictable and walked away with Takao who was watching with Kuroko.

"I beat Kagami, because he's predictable. I knew he was going to dunk." Midorima explained to Takao. "Well that is his strength." Takao commented. "The only person that worries me on that team is Ryuto. We've seen nothing from him this entire camp." Midorima said frustrated. "He told me he was doing personal training strengthening his ankle." Takao explained. "But he practices alone when everyone else is gone form the gym. Whatever he's doing me worries me for some reason." Midorima said. "Is it because he can block you easily?" Takao said mockingly. "Thats part of it. And something Akashi said to me about him." Midorima said. "What did he say?" Takao asked. "He said that out of everyone he's seen play, Ryuto is the one person he seems to have the most trouble against. He's unpredictable." Midorima said.

The next morning the team said goodbye and thanks to the people of the guesthouse. As they walked towards the station everyone was commenting on how they slept or the amount of training they did. Meanwhile all Ryuto could think about was how he could master the new crossover and thinking about what was bugging him about the Zone. As everyone turned to head to the station the coach stopped them asking where they were going. She then went on to say that games were being held nearby. Izuki quickly realized that she was talking about Inter-High ans checked the game that was going to be played today. Ryuto froze when he heard the name Tōō, his mind raced until it settled on that watching Aomine play could help him figure out how to master his own crossover. The team decided to go watch the Inter-High game, so they went to go watch it. On the bus over there Ryuto stared out the window, he was only thinking about the game he was about to watch. _Aomine versus Blondie, I wonder who could win_ Ryuto thought to himself. He then felt his phone buzz, he took it out to find a message from Satsuki.

 _Hey Ryu-chan, isn't today the last day of your training camp? If you have the time, why don't you come over and watch us play against Ki-chan? -Satsuki_

Ryuto sighed as sent his response: _The team is headed over to watch. I'll send you a message when I get there. -Ryuto_

After a few moments a response came: _Ok then. I'm sure I can spot you in the crowd, no one has hair like you do. -Satsuki._

Ryuto could only blink at the message he had just received. He then sent one back: _Whats that supposed to mean?! It's not like you can hide in plain sight with your hair! -Ryuto_

After that last message the two stopped messaging each other. Once the team arrived Koga marveled at how the gym looked, while others asked who was going to win. Kuroko explained that Kise had never beaten Aomine once. Ryuto was impressed he would expect them to be neck and neck, just like him and Aomine; but it was just the opposite. Ryuto excused himself from the team and went to the bathroom as walked around to find it he stumbled across someone he has not seen in a while.

"Though game today?" Ryuto asked. "Yeah." Kasamatsu responded not looked up. "I'm sure you can win." Ryuto encouraged. "Thanks for the support, strang-" Kasamastu stopped as he looked up to find Ryuto with a wide smile. "Oh, hey Ryuto." Kasamatsu said. "Whats up? You look, well its hard to describe, but its not the Kasamatsu I know." Ryuto said. "Hey what happened to adding senpai?!" Kasamatsu asked frustrated. "Oh I still think of you as my superior, but the whole honorifics thing, just doesn't roll of the tongue for me. Must be my American side acting up." Ryuto shrugged. "That would make sense. It would also explain why your Japanese sucks a bit." Kasamatsu teased. "If you want… _I could talk to you in English._ " Ryuto said switching languages. "All I understood was the word English." Kasamtasu said.

The two laughed for a moment repelling the tense air around Kasamatsu. After the two recovered they went back to their conversation.

"Anyways good luck." Ryuto said waving as he walked away. "Thanks. I noticed not more cast or crutches. Doing well off the injury?" Kasamatsu asked. "Yeah, itching to play a game though." Ryuto admitted. "Makes sense. Anyways thanks for lightening the mood a bit." Kasamtasu said. "No problem." Ryuto said walking away and forgetting the real reason why he left the team.

Ryuto returned to the team that were sitting down waiting for the game to start. As Ryuto took his seat he saw Kise and Aomine talking. All he wanted from this game was being able to learn how to perfect his crossover, one that was similar to Aomine's. He rested his elbows on his thighs and crossed his fingers, resting his head on the platform they made. Part of him wished he brought a pen and a notepad, but then he waved off the thought as it sounded ridiculous. Then the game began with the ball being thrown in the air for the opening jump ball.

 **AN: I hoped you enjoyed this new chapter. Most of the conversations that I put are just to fit my character specifically, so yeah. This chapter is basically exposition and character development, so sorry if it's boring. For the Tōō vs Kaijo game its going to be short, I'm just describing some of the movements Aomine does since my character is studying him. All that out of the was hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for the next chapter. Remember to review, favorite, and/or follow if you haven't already. If you have any suggestions or questions for the story leave them in the review and I'll try to incorporate them and answer any questions.**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: And here comes another chapter! This one's a bit shorter sorry about that. I took some time due to getting my wisdom teeth removed and school is about to start, so my focus was there. Anyways here ends season 1 of KnB with this chapter. Hope you enjoy this chapter and the questions I asked in chapter 8 can still be answered, so feel free to answer them. Remember I do not own Kuroko no Basket I only own the OC.**

Chapter 10

Learning Curve

Ryuto watched as Kaijo set up for offense as the ball was theirs first. Kasamatsu almost immediately passed to Kise, with Aomine waiting for him. Ryuto only knew Kise's strength from their practice game, and as for Aomine he only knew his strength when they were kids. But after seeing Aomine play against them when he was injured, he knew that at the fundamental level Aomine was better. Ryuto watched as Kise got past Aomine with a simple feint, only to have the ball tipped from behind. Ryuto leaned back disappointed, he expect something grander from the two; Tōō scored first with a three point shot. Kise then went up for the same quick release shot, but was blocked by Aomine. Tōō's captain then tried to fast break, but the ball was stolen by Kasamatsu; who went for a three of his own. Ryuto smiled, this was the Kasamatsu he knew; confident. With Tōō on offense once again, Ryuto returned to the seating position he had at the beginning; leaning in to see better. The ball was given to Aomine and all Ryuto could do was stare at what might happen next. Ryuto watched closely as Aomine did a crossover to his left, he then threw the ball as if he was passing. The team behind him was surprised to see a pass, but Ryuto knew there was no way in hell that Aomine was going to pass. Then Aomine grabbed the ball again and did another crossover to escape Kise, but Kise managed to keep up with the quick movements. Aomine then jumped backwards and threw the ball almost parallel to the ground, but Kise was able to block it. Ryuto watched as Kaijo went on offense, he could see that Kise was being guarded by Aomine, so there was no use passing it to him. _No doubt Satsuki's handiwork is gonna show up at some point_ Ryuto thought to himself. His prediction soon came true as Tōō's captain was able to react to every move Kasamatsu made. On Kasamatsu's shot, Kaijo got the rebound and was passed to number 5, who shot the ball by just throwing it upwards and still went in. And with that shot the quarter ended with Kaijo in the lead 18-13. Ryuto sighed he could not get as much information as he wanted the first quarter. He slouched a bit in his seat as he processed what he saw. Everyone began voicing their opinions on the score and wether or not Aomine was going full strength, even Kuroko inferred that Kise was winning. Part of Ryuto believed that Kise was winning, but there other believed Aomine still was not going full throttle. Kiyoshi then asked how were they able to beat Kaijo during the practice game. Everyone seemed to be stunned at the question.

"We caught them by surprise." Ryuto said.

Everyone seemed to agree with that answer, even though it was slightly. Kuroko then went on to explain that Aomine tends to get better as the game goes on. That peaked Ryuto's interest, if that was true he would be able to study Aomine better as the game continued. As the second quarter started Tōō pace changed greatly, it had now become slower and less aggressive then before. With the slowed down pace they were able to get the first points of the second quarter. As Kise received the ball, he was immediately guarded by Aomine, who's intensity could be felt all the way in the stands. Kise tried to feint Aomine again be to no avail, Aomine stole the ball and drove down the court followed by Kise. Ryuto watched closely as Aomine did his crossovers, they were the same he had used before; there was nothing different about them. As Aomine went up for a layup he was guarded by Kaijo's number 8, who jumped to try to block him. However, he ended up fouling him and Aomine still made the layup. The basket counted and Aomine was given one free throw, which he subsequently made. After the free throw the score was tied 18-18. The game continued to be tied throughout the second quarter. On another Kaijo possession Kise was once again given the ball. Kise this time used a move he copied from Kasamatsu, but he was still blocked by Aomine. The ball was knocked out of bounds and Kaijo called a time out. Ryuto ran a hand through his hair and let out a frustrated sigh, he was not getting the information that he wanted to get at the game. He slouched again in his seat waiting for the time out to be over. He looked towards the coach who was staring at him with a confused look.

"Why am I the center of attention right now?" Ryuto asked. "You've been sighing all game, and a disappointed sighs I might add." the coach said. "I honestly don't know how to explain it." Ryuto said. "Then keep quiet." the coach said sternly. "I'll try." Ryuto said turning back to the court.

Ryuto watched as the two teams returned form their timeout huddles. He watched closely at the determination Kaijo had in the last few seconds of the second quarter. The ball was moved around a bit by the Kaijo players before reaching the hands of Kise, who was still being guarded by Aomine. Ryuto was pleasantly surprised when Kise passed the ball to another teammeate. The ball was then swatted out by Tōō's shooting guard and then the ball was passed to Aomine with Kise ready to defend him. Ryuto watched closely as Aomine got around Kise with speed and ease. As Aomine went for a dunk Kasamatsu stood in front of his path drawing a charging foul. On every offensive position that Tōō had the ball was given to Aomine, Ryuto continued to watch Aomine's movements and his rhythm. But even with all the pressure Kise was giving to Aomine, Aomine would continue to score. Ryuto's focus then turned to Kise, who stood motionless. Ryuto could feel that he was trying to do something, but he could not tell what. It was not until Kuroko spoke up and confirmed his suspicions.

"Kise-kun is trying to copy Aomine-kun's style." Kuroko explained. "Can he really do that?" Hyūga asked. "Kise-kun can only copy what he can do." Kuroko continued to explain. "But if he's trying to copy Aomine, then he's trying to break that barrier; correct?" Ryuto asked. "Yes, thats exactly it." Kuroko confirmed. "That poses another problem, if ends up being able to copy Aomine; then that wouldn't stop him from copying others that are stronger than him." Ryuto said. "I assume so." Kuroko answered.

Ryuto continued to watch the game, which now only had five seconds until the second quarter ended. _Man this quarter has dragged on for awhile_ Ryuto thought. Ryuto watched as the seconds ticked by, at three seconds Tōō's captain threw the ball upwards towards the basket. Ryuto stared at the ball wide eyed as it went into the basket, he was in complete awe at how the shot had managed to enter. He looked towards his teammates who were also surprised on in awe at what they had just seen. During the half time Kuroko went outside to give #2 some fresh air, while the rest decided to use the time for whatever they needed to do. Ryuto decided to see if he could talk to Satsuki before the next half started, but instead of Satsuki he found some else standing looking out the window.

"If you're looking for something you lost, staring out into space won't help." Ryuto said. "Hmph. Who says I was looking for something?" the preson said. "Hello Aomine." Ryuto greeted. "Hey there Ryu." Aomine greeted back. "It's funny, you're clearly playing someone who's on your level and you still have that bored look on your face." Ryuto said. "What's that supposed to mean?" Aomine asked. "Only whatever you want it to mean." Ryuto said.

The two continued to stare at each other in silence; the seconds passed like minutes and minutes like hours. Aomine then broke their locked gaze and returned to stare out the window.

"Well I got to head back, see you." Ryuto said. "Yeah, see you." Aomine said not making eye contact. "I'd be ready for our next game. I am going to beat you." Ryuto said determined. "An injured player shouldn't be making challenges like that." Aomine said still not looking. "Who said I was injured?" Ryuto said walking away.

Ryuto walked back to his team after his talk with Aomine. He could see Aomine still could not find what he was looking for, based on his attitude. _Don't worry you'll find your equal soon_ Ryuto thought to himself. The team got back together and sat back down waiting for the game to continue. As soon as both team reentered the court the game began, with Tōō starting with the ball. As soon as Tōō set up for offense they were pressured heavily than in the first half. Then the ball was stolen and Kasamtasu passed towards Kise, who was down the court. Ryuto watched closely as Kise got past Tōō point guard, it was just like Aomine's crossover. _Not as close to the original, but still pretty darn close_ Ryuto thought. Then Tōō point guard was called for a foul trying to get back to defend Kise. Ryuto looked towards Kise, he radiated determination, determined to beat Aomine. Kise continued to use Aomine's movements, and when ever he did he would be fouled by an opposing player. The coach explained that he's been using Aomine's moved whenever he was guarded by someone who was not Aomine, so his copy was not complete. Kiyoshi continued her train of thought saying that once he went one-on-one with Aomine then his copy would be complete. When Tōō went on offense the ball was given immediately to Aomine, who just threw the ball directly at the basket. The entire court was silenced, then the crowd erupted in excitement. Ryuto continued to stare wide eyed at the shot his mind had trouble processing what had just transpired. _Aomine's a goddamn monster_ Ryuto thought. He continued to watch as Kaijo went on the offensive, but were put under heavy pressure by Tōō. Ryuto watched as Kasamatsu made his way forwards as Tōō's captain guarded him, he then did a spin move to get away a shot the ball. The ball did not go in, but the rebound was caught by Kaijo's number 10; who passed it to number 8 for a point. On Tōō offensive possession the ball was passed to the shooting guard who went up for a shot, but was blocked by Kaijo's number 5. Ryuto watched as Kaijo set up for offense and the ball was passed to Kise. Ryuto looked towards Kise and smiled; _He's done it, Kise can now perfectly copy Aomine._ As Kise blasted past Aomine he went up for a dunk, Aomine tried to block his shot but fouled instead, and Kise still made the shot by tossing the ball form behind his back. After Kise made his free throw, Tōō went to offense. Ryuto looked towards Aomine who was unfocused and when the ball was passed to him he was not ready. Kise recovered the fumbled ball and drove down the court, Tōō's shooting guard tried to stop his advance but Kise blew right past him. As he went up the dunk, Ryuto could see the panicked looks on Tōō's faces if Kise made that shot it would be a big blow to their moral. He then looked towards Aomine who was going to try to block Kise. Ryuto was amazed at the fact that even with four fouls Aomine continued to play hard, albeit a bit safer. He was able to block Kise, who had a surprised look on his face. Ryuto looked at the two, both of them were determined to win, at any cost. As the third quarter ended Ryuto took the chance to catch his breath, the excitement of watching was making him tired, for reasons Ryuto could not understand. _What I'm wondering is how long Kise can keep up with Aomine's style's pace. I'm sure he can't use it forever_ Ryuto thought to himself. As the fourth quarter started, Hyūga noticed that Tōō did not change their line up and Izuki said that if Aomine got another foul it would most likely be game over.

"There's no way in hell Aomine is going to sit out now." Ryuto said. "How are you so sure about that?" Kiyoshi asked. "Aomine is determined to prove his philosophy, and he's facing a former teammate; it makes all the sense in the world why he would stay in. I would be more worried about Kise." Ryuto advised. "Why do you say that Ryuto-kun?" Kuroko asked. "Being able to copy Aomine's style has to have drawbacks, and I'm sure one of them is how he will not be able to keep up with the pace of that style." Ryuto explained.

Everyone seemed to understand what Ryuto was explaining and turned back to the game that had begun. Tōō immediately passed the ball to Aomine, who blew past his first two defenders. Once Kise went to defend him, Aomine did quick maneuvers to be able to out pace him. Ryuto noticed once that was not an option for Aomine, he went for the shot that was parallel to the ground and made it in. On Kaijo's turn on offense the ball was passed to Kise, and Kise proceeded to do what Aomine did; even the parallel shot, which he made. The game continued with Aomine and Kise trading blows with the exact same moves, none of them were giving an inch to the other. However, even with everything Kise was doing Tōō was still in the lead. Ryuto watched as Kise drove towards the baseline, when he tried to turn inwards; Ryuto noticed how he stopped for a split second and then proceeded to throw the ball from behind the basket. After a few go arounds on the rim the ball went in scoring another point for Kaijo. _Looks like Kise reached his limit. He's overused it now his own body is feeling what it means to be going at that pace_ Ryuto thought to himself. The team discussed how exhausting it must feel to be playing for so hard for so long. Hyūga even went on to say how he admired Kaijo, for being able to hold it together for so long. Ryuto looked towards Kasamatsu and Kise, they were both at their limits and still being ten points behind was not helping their stamina. Ryuto then looked towards Aomine, who still had the same face with a bit of surprise. He smiled, this game was pushing him to his limits: _Just you wait Aomine, when you play me next you'll have the exact same face_ Ryuto thought. As he turned his attention back to game, Tōō had passed to the shooting guard who was unaware of the pass and it bounced off his hand, leading to Kise recovering it. Kise bulleted down the court as fast as he could, with Aomine close behind. Once Aomine got in front of him he stopped, Ryuto could tell they were both analyzing on how each was going to attack. Then Kise motioned to drive, but instead went up for one of Aomine's formless shots. Aomine jumped as well going to block the shot, Kise then dropped the ball down to his side. Ryuto sighed it was over for Kaijo, dropping the ball downwards would cost him the game. As everyone looked on in surprise as Kise dropped the ball down, Kasamatsu then appeared behind Kise waiting for a pass. Then Aomine spun around and slapped the ball out of Kise's hands and going outside, the game was now defiantly over. Kasamatsu went to tell Kise to get his head in the game and continue playing, which he did. Ryuto admired the optimism, but even they knew it was going to be next to impossible to win. Ryuto continued to watch as Kaijo tried to score, but to no avail, Tōō kept them at the same score the rest of the quarter, 98. Tōō continued to dominate the game, on one steal Aomine went for a dunk and was blocked by Kise. But it was not enought to stop Aomine and he Tōō final point. The game ended with Tōō's win 110 to 98. Ryuto looked towards Kise who had trouble standing, he knew it from the moment he started copying Aomine that would happen. He smiled when he saw Kasamatsu walk up and help him up, Ryuto knew Kise had learned to play with a team again. The team sat in silence for a few minutes processing the game. Ryuto got the information he needed to prefect his new crossover and now all he had to do was shake the uneasy feeling he still had about the Zone. The coach then told them all sternly to stop brooding and that they were going to train hard to beat the Generation of Miracles. Kagami then asked why they were not staying to watch the other games that had the Generation of Miracles players on them, which received a scolding form Hyūga. Ryuto sighed his friend was still as brash as ever. As the team walked towards the exit they were passed by a tall boy with purple hair eating sweets. Ryuto stared at him the corner of his eye, not loosing sight of him. Even with what he was saying Ryuto could tell that person was strong. He then looked towards Kuroko who seemed to recognize the giant. The team gather outside, when Hyūga asked if anyone was missing Kawahara pointed out that someone was missing, Hyūga inferred that it was Kuroko. With Kawahara responding with that both Kuroko and Kagami were missing. Ryuto sighed no doubt the game got their spirits up to play, and truth be told it was also the case for Ryuto.

"I'll go look for them. I'm pretty sure I know where they are." Ryuto volunteered. "Don't you go disappearing too, Ryuto-kun." the coach threatened. "Trust me I'll being them right back." Ryuto said jogging off.

Ryuto found both Kuroko and Kagami at a nearby basketball court. Kagami had just finished a dunk and was saying something to Kuroko. Ryuto stayed out of earshot of their conversation, but nonetheless smiled the two were determined to win during the winter.

"Hey! Kuroko, Taiga! We're all waiting for you guys!" Ryuto called out.

The two boys turned and grabbed their bags and walked towards their grey haired friend, both with smiles on their faces.

"I'm not going to ask about what you guys were talking about, but both of you seemed fired up." Ryuto said. "We're just ready for the winter." Kuroko said. "So am I." Ryuto said with a determined smile.

 **AN: Here comes to a close this chapter, I hope you enjoyed. Once again I apologize for the short chapter, I'll try to make the next one longer. School starts now and I don't think I'll be able to update weekly, I'll have to see. Also my birthday is this week (August 11 if you must know), so yeah this week is a bit packed. Expect the next chapter in the near future and remember to review, favorite, and/or follow if you haven't already. If you have any ideas or suggestions leave them in the reviews and I'll try to incorporate them in.**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Here arrives another chapter. It's another short one, sorry about that. I started school, but this weekend was light so I managed to find time to write this chapter. School is a priority so don't expect weekly updates, I'll try though. You guys haven't answered the questions so I'll assume you all said no or you didn't read them. They're still open just in case. Anyways hope you enjoy this chapter and remember I do not own KnB, I only own my character.**

Chapter 11

Road to Winter Cup

Two members of the press were watching a match between two teams. One of them began to list the teams that were most favorable to win Winter Cup. The teams included: Kaijo, Tōō, Shutoku, Yosen, and Rakuzan. The second reporter commented that those teams all had members of the Generation of Miracles on them and said that since those teams had them they were the most favorable to win. The first reporter agreed, but then said that there was one undecided factor, the underdog team, Seirin.

"They have they're strong center; Kiyoshi Teppei, the clutch shooter and captain; Hyūga Junpei, the eagle eyed point gaurd; Izuki Shun, and the one known to have gone toe-to-two with the Generation of Miracles; Kagami Taiga." the first reporter said. "Isn't there also the one with grey hair thats sitting on the bench?" the second reporter asked. "Thats Rishihara Ryuto or as he's preferred to be called by his first name; Ryuto. He's the wild card of the team, not that much is known about him since his injury. Remember their names, they're the dark horse of Winter Cup." the first reporter said as they walked away from the game, which had just ended.

Some time had passed since the end of summer, and the Winter Cup preliminaries had begun. The Seirin basketball team gathered in a restaurant to celebrate their recent victory. Ryuto had no played a game since his injury, the coach kept telling him that it was just so his ankle could fully heal, but he felt no pain in his ankle. He watched as Kagami tried to eat food with his left hand and struggled to do so. He would laugh whenever he would fumble his food and get frustrated.

"If you need some tips on how to be a lefty you can always ask me, Taiga." Ryuto said laughing. "Shut up! I can handle this!" Kagami exclaimed.

Ryuto would continue to laugh while Kagami got scolded by Hyūga and comments form Kiyoshi. The first years were sitting together in their own table having their own conversations. Then Kawahara asked what they were planning on doing tomorrow since they had the day off. Fukuda said he was going to sleep in mostly. Then Furihata asked if they wanted to go to a streetball tournament pulling out a flyer. The idea interested Ryuto, but there was no way for him to back out from the family stuff Satsuki had planned tomorrow. The coach said that they should rest since it was a holiday, but Fuirhata said that since they barely got to play this was a good chance for them to play. Kiyoshi fully supported the idea and asked the coach to let them, which she reluctantly did.

"Sorry guys, but I can't go." Ryuto said. "Why not Ryuto?" Furihata asked. "Satsuki made some plans and there's no way in hell she's going to let me back out." Ryuto explained. "I guess that just leaves five of us." Kawahara said. "Do your best guys." Ryuto said.

The next morning Ryuto woke up, he checked the his phone to find two notifications; both of them were from Furihata. Once said that Kawahara got sick and could not come and he was wondering wether Ryuto could come. Then another saying they got someone to fill in for Kawahara. Ryuto sighed his only excuse to back out form Satsuki's plans went out the window. He set his phone back on the table and walked downstairs to get breakfast. His aunt and uncle already had left for work and it seemed that Satsuki had not woken up yet. He made himself cereal and sat down on the table to eat in silence. In between spoonfuls of cereal he would yawn occasionally. _Man coach's training is killer. I can barely feel my legs_ Ryuto though to himself. He continued to eat in silence when he heard the refrigerator open. He looked up to find Satsuki in her school clothes.

"Weren't we going to do family stuff today?" Ryuto asked her. "No good morning how rude." Satsuki said. "Whatever." Ryuto said mildly annoyed. "Unlike you I have to go to school today so it's going to have to be after." Satsuki said. "So I blew off to go do something with my friends for nothing!?" Ryuto asked frustrated. "Well it's good to know that family is a priority for you." Satsuki said with a smile.

Ryuto threw his head back and groaned.

"If you want you can with me to school?" Satsuki asked. "No. I'll just figure something out. Call me or message me when you finish school." Ryuto said as he put his finished bowl in the sink and went back to his room to change.

While he did so he messaged Takao and asked him if he wanted to hang out, to which he agreed and they decided to meet up at a park. As Ryuto walked towards the park he would occasionally get messages from one of his teammates from the U.S. Ryuto smiled seeing the name of the person again. The teammate would give him updates on how everything was since he left the U.S. Ryuto smiled knowing his friends were still a team and that they were thinking about both him and Taiga. As he arrived at the park he found Takao waiting for him, with his usual smug smile. The two friends greeted each other with high fives and smiles.

"How've you been Tao?" Ryuto asked. "I'm good. Training for Winter Cup is killer though." Takao responded. "Tell me about it." Ryuto said. "How are you feeling after loosing the cast?" Takao asked. "I'm fine to be honest. Haven't played in a game yet so I'm feeling a bit eager to play again." Ryuto answered. "That feeling must suck." Takao said with a laugh. "Yeah it does." Ryuto said laughing as well.

The two boys continued to talk and walk around the city. They went to grab something to eat and went to the arcade. Their time together ended when Ryuto got a message form Satsuki saying that her day had ended.

"I got to go. Got to pick up my cousin from school." Ryuto said. "You do that. Today was fun, I needed this free time." Takao said. "Yeah me too. See you later Tao." Ryuto said.

The two high fived and went their separate ways. As he walked towards Satsuki's school the sky began to darken. _Looks like it's going to rain. And I didn't bring an umbrella_ Ryuto thought to himself. He walked a faster pace, but the rain picked up and soon Ryuto was getting soaked. As he neared Tōō Academy, Ryuto saw a flash of pink going in the other direction. Ryuto groaned and started to run after his cousin, getting even more wet in the process. As he continued to follow he slowly noticed where he was, Satsuki was heading towards his school. She then turned to the entrance, which Ryuto did the same to follow and he soon found himself nearing the gym. _She must be looking for Kuroko_ Ryuto inferred. As he entered the gym he found most of the second years and the coach, plus Satsuki, who was also soaked all talking. They stared at him for a moment before telling him to enter the gym. Hyūga gave him a dry shirt plus pants to wear, but nothing could save his soggy feeling feet.

"Thanks captain." Ryuto said. "Don't mention it. And why are you soaking, just like her? I thought you two had something planned?" Hyūga asked. "We did, but after she went to school. I went to pick her up and well I saw bolt out of the entrance and I followed her here." Ryuto explained.

The two had finished talked and soon the coach appeared with Satsuki, who had significantly smaller shirt; albeit dry. The second years began to make faces, which the coach commanded them to go run laps outside in the rain. Then only Ryuto, the coach, and Satsuki were left in the gym.

"Kuroko-kun is on his way." the coach said. "Thanks." Satsuki said. "May I ask why you bolted out of your school?" Ryuto asked. "I'd rather talk to Tetsu about it." Satsuki said. "Ok then." Ryuto said backing off. "By the way you two look cute together." Satsuki said with a smile.

Ryuto and the coach both looked at each other. Their eyes had widened and their faces were bright red. They both quickly made space between each other and tried to look as calm as possible. Ryuto did his usual quirk when he's embarrassed, he placed one hand in his pocket and the other behind his head while looking down. To break up the embarrassing moment the one's out playing streetball arrived and Satsuki went to hug Kuroko immediately. While the other four watched in jealousy as she hugged him. After the two separated Satsuki sat down on a chair and Kuroko gave her something to drink while asking what was wrong. Before anything could be said the other first years reentered the gym all soaked. Kuroko asked again what was wrong to which she replied that she thinks Aomine hated her.

"What?" was all Kuroko said. "Aomine-kun didn't participate in Inter-High's sem-finals or finals." Satsuki said.

Hyūga went on to say that that sounded like something Aomine would do. Then Sastsuki clarified that it was because of injuries. The coach inferred that it likely happened during the game against Kise and Kaijo, to which Satsuki agreed to; while also insulting he small breast size. To which the coach got angry at. Kuroko went on to explain that the main weakness of the Generation of Miracles was how talented they were.

"I thought as much. I noticed it when Kise was copying Aomine, his body was not able to keep up with the movements." Ryuto explained. "Basically. The Generation of Miracles all have abilities that no normal high school student has, so they restrict the use of their abilities. In order not to hurt themselves." Kuroko continued to explain.

Satsuki continued the story by saying that Aomine played recklessly against Kise. So she asked the coach not play him, which he did, he became angry at the fact that he was benched halfway through the games. Eventually he found out it was Satsuki who told the coach not to play him and he got angry at her, which caused him to lash out harsh words. And that was what caused her to bolt out of the school. After hearing what Aomine had done to his cousin, Ryuto tighten his fist and gritted his teeth in anger. He wanted to sprit over to him and punch him, he then took a deep breath to calm himself down. He looked up to find Kuroko consoling Satsuki, which brought a smile to his face. He had no idea what had just transpired between Kagami and the rest of the team.

"It's okay, Momoi-san." Kuroko said kindly. "Aomine-kun can't hate you over that," he continued to say, "I'm sure he knows you were worried about him. Lets go back together, I'm sure Aomine-kun is looking for you."

When he finished Satsuki got emotional and hugged him. Ryuto sighed his anger had lightened, partially because of Kuroko's words and how happy he made Satsuki feel. The the coach walked over to them and asked Satsuki a question. She asked her why did Akashi and Murasakibara sit out during the final games. Satsuki explained that Murasakibara sat out because Akashi told him to. As for the finals he sat out because he victory was assured. When Ryuto heard that his anger boiled up again, he knew about Akashi's superiority complex; but using as an excuse for not playing was what really pissed him off.

"You know what I think." Ryuto said hanging his head.

Everyone turned towards Ryuto, the could feel his anger boiling as if steam radiated off him. He looked up and his eyes had changed color. They no longer were the light blue almost grey color, but this time time a dark and stormy grey; like how it was outside.

"I think that Seijūrō, is just a damn coward, who's ego needs to be put in check. Thats what I believe." Ryuto said with anger. "Why do you care so much?" Izuki asked. "Why do I care? It's because…" Ryuto stopped.

His anger seemed to have simmered down. He was not boiling like before, but his anger was still there.

"Because what?" the coach asked. "Because he's family." Ryuto said hesitantly. "WAIT, WHAT?!" everyone said in unison. "I'll explain it some other time." Ryuto said.

Kuroko announced that he was going to bring Satsuki home, which Ryuto decided to tag along; but he stayed silent. Kuroko asked if they could stop by a basketabll court quickly. He wanted to show Satsuki what he was working on. In his mind Ryuto was shouting that Kuroko should keep his mouth shut, but decided against saying anything. Ryuto watched as Kuroko got into an offensive stance while Satsuki defensive. Ryuto had not seen Kuroko's move, he had only explained it to him. He watched closely as Kuroko began to drive, he then passed next to Satsuki and she could not even move. Ryuto was impressed a drive that no one could stop, he smiled looks like he no longer had another weapon in his arsenal. The three continued to walk, Ryuto looked over to his side to find both Satsuki and Kuroko staring at him.

"You want to know about Seijūrō, right?" Ryuto asked. The two nodded in response. "Kuroko knows a bit. So I'll tell you what he knows. We're not blood related; he's a distant cousin on my dads side. Satsuki is blood related, but on my mom's side." Ryuto exlpained. "Now we know who Akashi-kun would refer to whenever he spoke about a cousin in America." Kuroko said. "I always thought it was a coincidence that we had family there. I never thought it was you." Satsuki said. "Yeah well thats the truth. Please keep it to yourselves until further notice alright?" Kuroko asked. The two nodded in response again.

The three stopped at a crosswalk that was near Satsuki's house. She told Kuroko she no longer needed the company and walked off. Ryuto, still standing next to Kuroko, sighed a followed her while waving goodbye to Kuroko. Satsuki then called out to him saying that they should all play basketball again, to which Kuroko agreed. The two cousins continued towards the house in silence. Ryuto was looking down towards the side walk. _I didn't want to drop the cousin bomb just yet. Well looks like the cats out of the bag now_ Ryuto thought to himself.

"What's wrong?" Satsuki asked breaking the silence. "It's just that I didn't want to drop the cousins bomb about Seijūrō just yet." Ryuto explained. "Why are you so mad at him? If you don't mind me asking." Satsuki said. "I don't like his new personality. That superiority complex of his. I remember the Seijūrō that loved basketball and that accepted defeat." Ryuto answered. "But Akashi-kun had never lost." Satsuki said. "To me he has. Several times. He no doubt didn't count because they weren't official games." Ryuto explained. "He would praise you a lot back in middle school." Satsuki said. "Did he now? It's the same reason why I want to beat Aomine. To change their personalities back to what I remember them being." Ryuto said. "That's going to be hard." Satsuki said. "But with the new technique I'm developing, it should make it easier." Ryuto said with a determined look this time. "What technique?" Satsuki asked. "You'll see." Ryuto said with a smile.

Satsuki looked towards her cousin. He no longer had the stormy grey eyes, they were back to the usual light blue almost grey color. The two entered the house, where Ryuto was greeted by his aunt and uncle. It felt good to be back around his family, one that did not have a sense of superiority. A few days later was the start of the preliminaries for the Winter Cup. The team gathered in front of the school. Ryuto noticed how everyone kept quiet about his outburst a few days before, be he also noticed glances coming his way every so often. When everyone was gathered the team departed for their first game. Once there the coach explained how the preliminaries were going to go. First eight schools were going to participate, after that the top four would be determined and play each other, similar to the championship league of Inter-High, once that concluded the top two teams would go on to the official tournament. The team then got themselves pumped up for their first game, against Josei. As the teams prepared to get started Ryuto sat on the bench and let out a disappointed sigh, yet another game he could not play. He was starting to feel like the other first years. He watched the team interact with one another, he then focused on Kiyoshi. Ryuto raised his eyebrow as he saw the way Kiyoshi was acting. _This guy is a real boy scout_ Ryuto thought. As the teams were introduced, one of the Josei players seemed depressed. The reason for this was because he thought Seirin's coach was going to be a hot girl. Everyone turned towards her, she seemed to have a calm demeanor. Then she made the signal for kill them, by moving her thumb across her neck. Ryuto looked over and she radiated rage. Ryuto gulped and thought to himself that the first game was going to be interesting. The teams set up for the jump ball, then the referee threw the ball into the air. Kiyoshi hit it towards Hyūga, who passed it to Kagami; who was quickly double teamed. The team continued to pass around, until the ball was given once again to Kagami who was under the basket. He was once again double teamed and the ball was subsequently slapped out of his hands, and into the outside. Ryuto could see the frustration that Kagami was feeling, Kiyoshi tried to cheer him up but it was only made worse. The game continued with Josei in the lead, Ryuto watched closely whenever Kiyoshi had the ball. Since he met Kiyoshi, Ryuto felt that he had something he was hiding. Kiyoshi went up for a hook shot, but Josei's center went up to block it. Instead of shooting; however, Kiyoshi passed to Hyūga who made the shot. On Josei's offense, Hyūga managed to steal the ball. As he drove down the court he passed to Kiyoshi, who went up for another hook shot; this time he took the shot and made it. Ryuto felt as if time slowed down whenever he went up to take a shot. As if he would think wether pass or shoot depending on the position of the opponent, when they react to him.

"Defiantly a strange style." Ryuto said quietly to himself. "What do you mean?" the coach asked. "Nothing. Just talking to myself." Ryuto said not looking away form the game.

On Josei's next offensive possession their center went up for a dunk, but was blocked by Kiyoshi. Izuki recovered the loose ball and passed to Kuroko. Who sent it straight to Kagami, who down the court. He went up for his own dunk and kept going higher. Until his face made contact with the rim. He landed on the ground disoriented. Ryuto's eye's widened then he face palmed at what Kagami had done. _The big idiot jumped to high. He really doesn't think_ Ryuto thought. The first quarter ended with Seirin in the lead 29-18. Due to Kagami still being disoriented he was dragged back to the bench by Kuroko. The game continued with Seirin keeping their lead and in the fourth quarter it became a competition between centers. On an offensive rebound Kiyoshi was able to recover the ball. Instead of passing back outside to restart he motioned to pass, but then went up for a lay up and scored. Seirin continued to dominate the rest of the quarter thanks to Kiyoshi getting almost all the rebounds. Ryuto had to admit, Kiyoshi was probably their best player at the moment. Unbeknownst to Seirin in the stands were two players form Tōō watching the game; it was the point guard Imayoshi and the shooting guard Sakurai. They were on commenting on the fact that with the return of Kiyoshi Seirin was a lot stronger, both inside and outside.

"There's also one other thing about Seirin that's different." Imayoshi said. "What might that be?" Sakurai asked. "The grey haired boy. He no longer has the cast. Without Kiyoshi he was the strongest on Seirin's team. He was able to block Midorima's three's and if he didn't get injured, he would've beaten Aomine." Imayoshi said. "Beat Aomine-san?" Sakurai said in disbelief. "I heard that he is ridiculously fast and that he's basically the shadow ace of the team." Imayoshi explained. "Then why no play him then?" Sakurai asked. "No doubt conserving him until he's needed." Imayoshi said.

Back to the game Kagami was getting frustrated that he was not able to take any shots. Kuroko managed to clam him down by shooting one of his wrist sweatband at Kagami's cheek. Kuroko told him that he was drawing the defenders away from everyone else, which left the other open. Kuroko the gestured to the stands and pointed out the two that were from Tōō that were watching. Ryuto looked towards where Kuroko was gesturing and saw the two from Tōō as well, no doubt Aomine was going to know about what happened at the game. On Seirin's offensive possession the ball was passed to Kagami. He was once again double teamed, but the defense was weak. He was able to blow past them and drove towards the basket. Josei's center went to defend, but Kagami jumped at the free throw line for a dunk. He made the ball but did not grip the rim well enough and he landed on his ass. Ryuto once again face palmed, he was still too flashy. After Kagami's dunk the game had ended, Seirin had won 108-61. The team celebrated at their first victory in the preliminaries. Ryuto smiled his friend could probably beat him in a one-on-one at this point. _Don't worry Taiga I'll catch up_ Ryuto said to himself with a determined smile.

 **AN: And here this chapter comes to a close. I purposely left out my character during the street ball game, because Kagami seeing Himuro is for him to develop. My character will find out about him, but later on much later. As for the Akashi bomb I was going to put it somewhere else (*spoilers for the show if you're not caught up* before they play Rakuzan to be precise) but decided to put it here due to the way the conversation about him went. Anyways hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you liked review, follow, and/or favorite this story. Plus if you have any suggestions just write them down in the reviews and I'll try to fit it in. Stay tuned for the next part.**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Here we are with another chapter. Sorry this one took so long school started and I'm already overwhelmed. I noticed some new people like this story, thanks for that guys. Also the questions I asked STILL haven't been answered yet, I'm starting to assume you don't read the authors notes. Anyways I hope you enjoy this new chapter. Remember I do not own KnB I only own my OC.**

 **PLEASE READ BOTTOM AN FOR SOME CLARIFICATIONS!**

Chapter 12

Heating Up

On the way back from their game the coach was explaining who they were playing against in the Championship League of the Winter Cup Preliminaries. The teams included: Seirin, Shutoku, Senshinkan, and Kirisaki Daīchi High. Ryuto knew all but one of the schools mentioned; Kirisaki Daīchi, he wondered what they were like. His thoughts then shifted on being able to play against Shutoku. He hoped to be put into the game, since it was against an opponent he knew how to beat. Part of him wanted to go one-on-one against Midorima again, and playing against Takao was always fun. He smiled at the thought, playing against rivals was sometimes always fun. Eventually the team went their separate ways, Ryuto continued to walk without paying any attention to where he was going.

"Weren't you supposed to take a left at least two blocks ago." a stern voice called out.

Ryuto turned to see the coach staring at him. He could not tell if she was puzzled or angry at him.

"Sorry lost in thought." Ryuto said with a smile and placing his hand behind his head. "You think too much," the coach said, "what was it this time?" "Just thinking about the game against Shutoku." Ryuto answered. "I'm still thinking if you should play that game or not." the coach said. "Oh come on! Please let me ply this game?" Ryuto pleaded. "Restless are we." the coach said raising an eyebrow. "Yes." Ryuto said quickly. "Like I said, I'll think about it." the coach said.

Ryuto sighed and turned to cross the street. Before he could he felt he coach grab his arm.

"I'm just looking out for you. You know that, right?" the coach said. "Yeah I know." Ryuto said. "I'll let you play the first quarter of the game against Shutoku." the coach said. "Really?! Thanks a lot!" Ryuto said excitedly.

He then felt himself hugging her and quickly separated with a face red of embarrassment.

"Sorry, just a reaction." Ryuto said nervously. "It's fine. To be honest I was expecting it." the coach said. "One last thing before I go. I noticed you let your hair grow." Ryuto said. "Thanks for noticing. I'm letting it grow until we make it to the finals of Winter Cup." the coach said with a smile. "In my opinion you look better with long hair. Good night, Riko." Ryuto said walking away.

The next day Ryuto sat on the bench watching the team play against Senshinkan. He watched his team as they practically dominated their opponent. He smiled throughout the match, the team was defiantly different then how it was during the summer. He had only seen a video of the way Senshinkan played, but they appeared to be no match against the current Seirin. The game ended with one of Kagami's dunks, Ryuto looked at his friend with excitement; he had surpassed him, if only for a while. Everyone cheered as they won their first game, Ryuto joined in praising the team for their efforts. But he could not shake the feeling of excitement of wanting to play against Shutoku. Ryuto looked over towards the game between Kirisaki Daīchi and Shutoku, based on the score difference Ryuto assumed that they were not a strong team. It was that or Shutoku had completely dominated the game. Ryuto shrugged the thought off and focused on Shutoku, the only game that mattered to him at the moment. He looked over to Shutoku, who stared right back. Eventually the two teams locked gazes, the intensity between the two was immense. Back in the locker room Hyūga said that the next game was going to be tough. Fukuda said that since they had Kiyoshi they were sure to win, and they had beaten them before. Kuroko then put his own input on the situation saying that that was the most likely reason why the game was not going to be easy.

"Kuroko-kun has the right idea. However, Teppei is going to be sitting out the first quarter." the coach announced.

The team seemed to be in shock at the announcement. They started to ask why he was sitting out, Kiyoshi calmed everyone down, saying that they should trust her judgement; but by his tone he was surprised too.

"Ryuto is playing the first quarter." the coach announced.

As if on cue Ryuto walked into the locker room, with a towel over his head and a ball under his arm. He removed his towel and his face only showed determination.

"I promise to play just as hard as Kiyoshi during my time playing." Ryuto said with determination. "It's good to have you back, Ryuto." Hyūga said. "Yeah." Ryuto said. "We'll leave Midorima to you." Hyūga said. "I'll stop from the beginning." Ryuto said determined.

Kagami began to protest, but Kuroko was quick to quiet him down. As the team walked out of the locker room Ryuto noticed someone sitting in the darkness. He wore the same clothes as someone form Kirisaki Daīchi. Kiyohsi then stopped saying that he would catch up in a second. Ryuto decided to disappear for a moment to hear, the conversation between Kiyoshi and the new person. Kiyoshi greeted the new perosn, calling him Hanamiya. Ryuto heard their convesation, the two seemed to not get along. Then Hanamiya stood up to leave, he said good bye and walked off. Then he said something that peaked Ryuto's interest. Hanamiya turned the corner and disappeared. As Kiyoshi walked back towards the team Ryuto followed him, deciding to keep quiet, but his curiosity peaked.

"Mind telling me what that was all about?" Ryuto asked. "It doesn't concern you." Kiyoshi said. "I'll find out one way or another. I'm pretty observant." Ryuto advised. "Just focus in the game ahead." Kiyoshi said. "Trust me that's the only thing on my mind." Ryuto replied.

The two teams entered the court. Ryuto looked over to Shutoku and saw Midorima eyeing him. Ryuto took a deep breath and mentally prepared himself for this game. _I can't loose focus in this game. I can't let myself get injured again_ Ryuto thought to himself. As he sat down on the bench he could feel the stares of everyone, but he paid no attention to them. All that mattered was the game ahead. Over on Shutoku's bench Midorima was also focusing on solely on the game.

"I'm not in the mood for your jokes Takao." Midorima said. "Ryuto's playing this game, I will not loose to him again." Midorima continued. "Same here, I don't want to loose to him either." Takao said.

Seirin stood up form the bench. Everyone finished each other sentences on how much this game meant. Ryuto kept quiet, he all his focus was on the game. As the teams walked onto the court Ryuto and Midorima locked gazes, through their eyes they told each other that he was going to win. The two team lined up waiting for the game to start as both team were introduced, they bowed and set up for the start. Before the jump ball Ryuto set himself up against Midorima.

"I'm not holding back tall, dark, and green." Ryuto warned. "Neither will I." Midorima responed. "This time I won't get injured." Ryuto said. "I hope so, I want to see the look in your face when I score on you." Midorima said. "Not gonna happen." Ryuto said with a determined smile.

The ball was thrown into the air signaling the start. As Kagami and Otsubo jumped up to hit it towards someone, they reached the ball togehter and the ball flew towards Izuki. When he grabbed the ball it was tipped out of his hands by Takao. The ball was recovered by Shutoku and passed to Otsubo down the court. Ryuto smiled, he then darted towards the ball and cut it off leaving a surprised Otsubo behind. Midorima went to guard his advance, Ryuto smiled again. He passed the ball over to his right hand then back to his left and in a second he was under the basket scoring a lay up. As the ball landed the crowd erupted in cheers. Ryuto turned to face a surprised Midorima. Midorima looked into Ryuto's eyes and swore he saw a small spark of grey. Ryuto jogged past Midorima without saying a word. On Shutoku's offense the ball was passed to Takao on the inbound, who held on to it studying the court. He then drove towards the basket and passed to number 8, who then passed it to number 5. Who when received it passed directly to Midorima. Before Midorima could set up for a shot, Ryuto swatted the ball away. He recovered it himself and drove down the court to score another point for Seirin. He turned once again to Midorima, who was less surprised this time.

"I can tell you did some kind of training. Don't know what type, but you did. I can tell it wasn't to combat against me." Ryuto said to Midorima. "That's true I did do training, and it was not to compete against you. You calculate your jumps, there was no way I could counter that." Midorima confirmed. "Well then, you're going to have a tough time." Ryuto said.

On Shutoku's next ball possession, the ball was passed to Midorima who once again set up for a shot. Before he could jump, Ryuto swatted it, recovered the ball and scored once again. The game had continued like that for the first quarter a battle between Midorima and Ryuto. During one of Seirin's offensive possession's the ball was passed to Ryuto, how it had been for most of the game. He was able to get past Midorima without problems, but was cut off by a double team. He passed the ball back to Kagami who jumped to dunk the ball. As they returned to defense Kagami patted Ryuto on the back.

"Nice pass. Wasn't expecting it though, you've bascially scored all our points." Kagami said. "I guess so. Better pass more." Ryuto replied.

The first quarter continued to be a back and forth with Seirin maintaining the lead. The coach watched form the bench at Ryuto's overwhelming presence. Point after point was scored by Ryuto, and every so often by the others.

"I'm starting to wonder if you should really pull him out after this quarter ends." Kiyoshi said to the coach. "Yeah, I was starting to think that too." the coach responded.

As the final seconds winded down, Ryuto stood at the three point line dribbling the ball. Midorima was standing in front of him waiting for him to make a move. Midorima had seen overwhelming strength before, but nothing compared to the person standing in front of him. Midorima would notice every once in a while a grey spark in his eyes, he would wonder if he was in that state. Ryuto then began to do crossovers; left to right and back again. Midorima watched him closely, but in an instant he was gone and under the basket; not even Otsubo could defend him. He score another point for Seirin, with the quarter ending 16-5 in Seirin's favor. The team gathered at the bench. Ryuto sat down and drank some water, he then stood up and turned to his team.

"I have to apologize." he said to everyone. "For what? You did nothing wrong." Izuki said. "I've been keeping the ball to myself and not passing, and for that I apologize." Ryuto said bowing. "No need, you're basically shutting them down entirely." Hyūga said. "Either way, I'll try to pass it more." Ryuto said. "Actually that won't matter. I'm for today right coach?" Ryuto asked. "Actually I've decided to let you play for the rest of the half." the coach said. "Thanks." was all Ryuto could say.

As the second quarter started, Ryuto continued to dominate Shutoku. Whenever he got the ball he could feel the defense slow down, even Midorima barely defended him. When Ryuto scored his tenth point of the game he stood under the basket, not moving as the game continued. _What is this feeling? Even Midorima barely guards me? My teammates barely ask for the ball. No it's not possible, I know my team still trusts me_ Ryuto thought to himself. On Seirin's next offensive possession, Ryuto got the ball again. He drove towards the basket Midorima followed but put up little resistance. Ryuto then stopped his drive and passed to Hyūga, who seemed surprised to get the ball. Hyūga took his shot and made it putting Seirin ahead by 13. He went over to high five Hyūga, but got nothing in return.

"Just make the shot yourself next time." Hyūga said coldly.

Ryuto stood still, his eye's wide. He felt something he had not felt in a long time, isolation; form both the opponent and his team. _What's the point of having this strength if no one trusts you with it. I know now why Aomine feels the way he does. Overwhelming strength comes at a cost_ Ryuto said to himself. He walked over towards the bench, where the coach looked at him puzzled. Ryuto's face was blank, unreadable.

"Pull me out." Ryuto said.

Reading the situation the coach sent in Kiyoshi for Ryuto. Ryuto asked for a towel, when he got it he placed it on his head like a hood. Ryuto hung his head avoiding everything that was going on around him.

"Is your ankle bothering you?" the coach asked.

She received no answer, Ryuto stayed silent. The game continued this time with Kagami guarding Midorima, who was also a challenge for him. With Ryuto out of the game Shutoku managed to cut the lead to seven in a few minutes of the second quarter. Despite not having his head in the game, Ryuto was still aware of what was going on in the game. He had seen what Midorima had been talking about involving training and Kagami's super jumps, as they were being called. Even though he did not show it he was surprised that Kuroko had been subbed out. He felt Kuroko sit next to him saying that he was not worried about the team. Kuroko then turned his gaze to his immobile friend, who had not said a word since he arrived on the bench. Kuroko wondered what was bothering Ryuto so much, he never caught his facial expression when he left the court. At the moment Ryuto looked like he was staring into space. In the stands stood two former teammates; Kise Ryota and Momoi Satsuki, they came to watch the game between Midorima and Kuroko.

"So how's the game going?" Satsuki asked. "It's pretty interesting to say the least." Kise said motioning to the game. "They're double teaming Midorin?" Satsuki asked. "They don't want him to take any shots. But I was referring to the bench, Seirin's to be more specific." Kise clarified. "Tetsu was subbed out? And did Ryu-chan play?" Satsuki asked surpised. "They subbed out Kurokocchi recently. Ryutocchi was subbed out at the beginning of the second quarter. Don't know why though he was completely dominating." Kise said. "What do you mean by that?" Satsuki asked. "He scored twenty points up until he was subbed out. He made a pass to a teammate, but when he didn't return the praise he walked over to the bench and was subbed out." Kise explained. "Could you see the look on his face?" Satsuki asked. "No, but whenever he got the ball Shutoku would barely guard him." Kise answered. "Is that so." Satsuki said turning towards the game.

The game continued with another point for Shutoku. Double teaming Midorima proved to be more difficult for the rest of the team. On Seirin's offense, their attack came quickly. As Izuki passed to Hyūga, then the ball was passed to Kiyoshi. As Kiyoshi went up for a block he was guarded by number 8. Kiyoshi then brought the ball down and passed to Mitobe who scored. The coach then explained what was happening on offense; since Kiyohi's return two things happened, the first being that the inside was strengthened and the second was that passing was now faster. She summed it up by saying that fast point wars were their specialty. On Shutoku's inbound the ball was passed to a waiting Midorima. Before Kagami could react fast enough he shot the ball form the baseline and scored. After that shot the second quarter ended. Back in the stands Satsuki asked who would take the second half. Kise responded by saying that Seirin would most likely be the first to fall, that was if Kuroko did not play. He commented that Ryuto seemed out of it so he would most likely not play. During the halftime, Ryuto stood up and walked off.

"Ryuto, where are you going?" the coach asked.

She, once again, got no response from him.

"I couldn't care less if he leaves." Hyūga commented. "Why? He's still your teammate!" the coach said. "Hyūga has a point, about halfway during the first quarter we all began to notice. Ryuto could basically take on the team himself." Izuki agreed.

The bench stayed quiet for a moment. They all agreed with what Izuki and Hyūga said. Then Kagami spoke up.

"This has happened before." Kagami commented. "What do you mean?" Kiyoshi asked. "In middle school. We played against a team that Ryuto wanted to beat no matter what. His strength was so overwhelming that we began to realize what you guys are saying. After he did something similar to what happened before he was subbed out, he never showed up for another game for a while." Kagami explained. "What exactly do you mean by overwhelming?" Izuki asked. "He scored thirty points by the end of the first quarter." Kagami answered.

The team was left in shock. They began to wonder what was the limit to his strength. Some commented that he was similar to Aomine. After Ryuto had walked off he sat against a wall hanging his head. He was thinking about what Kagami had explained to the team. His mind flashed back to what had happened that day.

 _Flashback(this one is in english)_

Ryuto passed the ball to his open shooting guard, who made a three. Soon after the quarter ended. Ryuto went over to high five his teammate, who did not return the praise.

"You've basically been in control this whole quarter. Next time you just make that shot." the shooting guard said walking away.

When Ryuto sat down on the bench he asked his coach to leave him benched for the rest of the game. He watched he game with a blank expression, his mind only focusing on what his teammate had told him. He began to wonder if playing with so much strength was fun. When the game ended Ryuto sat in the gyms locker room staring at the floor. His team had already headed home, only he remained. When he heard footsteps, he looked up to find the coach looking at him. The coach then sat down next to him, he took a deep breath and turned to Ryuto.

"You've gotten really strong lately Ryuto." the coach said. "But what good is this strength if I feel so isolated form everyone. Even the opponent stopped guarding me." Ryuto said. "You've just been growing at a faster rate then everyone else. You have to slow down a bit." the coach said. "How do I do that?" Ryuto asked. "Try holding back until everyone can keep up with you." the coach suggested. "I'm not sure how. Sometimes my desire to win pushes me to play as hard as I can." Ryuto said. "That's something you're going to have to figure out. I know that in the near future someone will catch up to you on this team." the coach said walking away.

After a few days of being absent, Ryuto returned to his team; who had been waiting for him to come back. The shooting guard had apologized to Ryuto for his comment. Ryuto accepted the apology and continued to play. He found a way to hold back his strength and would only unleash it when it was necessary. Ryuto once again began to be integrated with team no longer feeling isolated.

 _End Flashback_

Ryuto continued to think about what he was going to do with the strength he had discovered while playing in Japan. _If using the Zone means being isolated form the team, I don't want it_ Ryuto thought to himself. He continued to sit in silence for a few moments before standing up and returning to the game. On the stand both Kise and Satsuki noticed Ryuto returning to the court.

"He's back." Kise said. "But his expression, I feel like I've seen it before." Satsuki said.

As Ryuto returned to the bench he saw Takao driving for the basket after receiving a pass from Midorima. Takao then passed back to Midorima, who the ball from half court and made it. Ryuto showed no signs of being surprised as he sat down on the bench. The people on the bench turned to face him, but his face was unreadable.

"Have you ever felt isoated?" Ryuto asked to no one in particular. "What do you mean?" Koga asked. "It's exactly as I said; have you ever felt isolated?" Ryuto asked again. "I have, in a way." Kuroko said. "Then you must know how I feel right now." Ryuto said not turing to him.

The bench turned back their gazes onto the court, watching everything unfold once again. Towards the end of the third quarter Shutoku had taken the lead. Ryuto watched as Kagami tried to block Midorima's shot, but failed to jump. The ball then went in and put Shutoku further in the lead.

"Put me in." Ryuto said to the coach, but not facing her. "Are you sure?" the coach asked surprised. "Taiga needs some rest. And right now I need to know that I'm not isolated, because of what I can do." Ryuto said. "Ok then." the coach said.

The buzzer sounded for a player switch. When the team turned to see who was entering they were surprised to see Ryuto there, although his face did not have any expression. Kagami was called over to be switched out, with some protest he switched. As they slapped each other's hands to acknowledge the switch, Kagami turned with a face of astonishment. Something had changed inside of Ryuto and he was not sure if it was good or bad.

"Are you going to hog the ball again like you did before?" Hyūga asked coldly. "I'm assuming Taiga told you why I'm acting how I am. I'm playing right now to see if I'm isolated from everyone. I'll find that out as everything contniues. One last thing leave Midorima to me." Ryuto walking away. "Is it just me or is something different about him?" Izuki asked. "I can't even tell if it's good or bad." Kiyoshi said.

Ryuto positioned himself for offense with Midorima guarding him. The two locked gazes, Midorima reeled back at the aura that radiated off of Ryuto. It was something he had never felt before.

"You seem different." Midorima said. "I'm just here to see if I'm isolated from everyone else." Ryuto said with no emotion.

Just as soon as Ryuto was put into the game, Kuroko was put in as well. Everyone seemed to be praying that Kuroko could change the flow of the game. Kuroko then walked over to Ryuto who seemed indifferent to everything.

"Kuroko. I wasn't expecting for you to come so soon." Ryuto said not facing him. "Part of the reason I decided to enter now was to help you feel less isolated." Kuroko said. "How are you going to do that?" Ryuto said turing to face him. "I'll pass you the ball." Kuroko said.

This time Ryuto showed emotion, he raised an eyebrow confused. Kuroko then walked away to face the rest of the team. Hyūga asked Kuroko what he had said to Ryuto to make him seem confused. He explained that they should pass to him. Explaining that he felt isolated because of how overwhelming he was during the first quarter. He then guaranteed that Ryuto would pass the rest of the game, he would not shoot once. Seirin's offensive possession began with the ball being inbounded to Izuki. Ryuto looked over to Kuroko who was being guarded by Takao. He then looked at Midorima who would not keep his eyes of him.

"You two have something up your sleeves. I know it." Midorima said. "We probably do." Ryuto replied monotonously.

Izuki drove towards the basket, then stopped short and passed it to Hyūga. Who the passed to Kiyoshi. Kuroko and Ryuto made eye contact and Kuroko moved towards him. Ryuto moved to screen Takao and Kuroko kept moving towards Midorima; they had switched marks. The switching had caught Shutoku by surprise as Midorima was not expecting to go one-on-one with Kuroko. Kiyoshi then passed the ball to Kuroko, who caught it catching Midorima by surprise once again. Kuroko then lowered the ball and passed Midorima without any defense, leaving a wide-eyed Midorima behind. Kuroko then passed to Kiyoshi who scored. On Shutoku's offense number 5, Kimura, got careless and shot a ball that bounced off the rim and was caught by Izuki. He then passed to Kuroko who was down the court. Takao went to stop his advance. But Kuroko did the same move against him, now dubbed the Vanishing Drive. After getting past him he passed to Ryuto who then passed it to Hyūga at the three point line, and made the shot. On Shutoku's inbound Kuroko cut off the pass and passed it Ryuto who tapped it towards Hyūga to score another three at the buzzer. During the break in between quarters everyone was silent. Everyone kept their eye's on Ryuto, what Kuroko had said to them was right he was only going to pass.

"How do you feel now Ryuto-kun?" Kuroko asked. "Everyone is still surprised I passed. Isolation still lingers." Ryuto answered. "But either way, nice job." Ryuto said with a slight smile and ruffing up Kuroko's hair.

Once the buzzer fort he next quarter rang, the five that were sitting on the bench got up and prepared for another ten minutes. Hyūga pumped everyone up by saying their motto and they went off to play. Ryuto then turned to Kagami looking at him straight in the eyes.

"Whenever you're ready." Ryuto said walking off.

"What the hell was that supposed to mean?" the coach asked. "I know exactly what it means." Kagami said with a smile.

At the start of the fourth quarter Seirin started with the ball. Seirin, began with their run-and-gun style and drove down the court. Kiyoshi passed to Izuki, who continued to drive down. He then went to pass towards Hyūga, but number 8 went to cut it off; however, Kuroko tapped it towards Ryuto, who was at the three point line. He drove towards the basket and then passed to Kiyoshi, who proceeded to score. Kiyoshi thanked Ryuto for the pass and went to defense. On Shutoku's offense Takao drove down the court, then passed to number 8, who passed to a waiting Midroima. Ryuto was a second too late to defend him he silently cursed at himself for being careless and distracted. Midorima's shot then went into the basket causing the crowd to go into a frenzy. The rest of the quarter was a back and forth between the two teams scoring one after the other. Ryuto had not shot one ball since returning to the court, and everyone received his passes with confidence, not surprise. Ryuto looked over towards the bench for a moment and caught Kagami signaling him. Ryuto nodded in response and walked over to Hyūga. He made a hand motion for a switch, to which Hyūga nodded. When the ball went out of bounds, the buzzer sounded and Kagami was waiting to enter. Before Ryuto could walk off the court Kuroko stopped him for a moment.

"Do you still feel isolated Ryuto-kun?" Kuroko asked. "Not as much as before. Thanks Kuroko." Ryuto said as he walked off the court.

Kagami and Ryuto high fived to signal the switch and Kagami jogged onto the court.

"Hey Taiga!" Ryuto called out.

Kagami turned to face his friend.

"Give 'em hell." Ryuto said with a smile.

Kagami nodded and went towards the team. Ryuto sat down on the bench, grabbed a bottle of water and drank form it. The coach studied him for a moment. She was not looking at the same Ryuto that had asked to be benched during the second quarter. Even if that was true she still did not fully understand what he meant by being isolated. Ryuto watched the back and forth with a smile, even if his feeling of isolation still lingered it was small; he was once again part of the team. Whenever his team scored a point he would cheer them on, while on defense he would chant for them to stay strong. With only thirty seconds left Seirin was ahead by one, Ryuto gritted his teeth it was now or never to win. Otsubo then scored a point putting Shutoku ahead by one. With barely any time left, Seirin went to offense. Izuki maneuvered around his opponent, but the ball was hit out of his hands by Kimura. As the ball went to the outside Kuroko saved it. As he fell back down he was guarded by Takao, determined not to let him pass. Kuroko then used his Vanishing Drive against Takao and got past him. Kuroko then passed to a waiting Kiyoshi who, for a second hesitated, went up for a shot. Midorima went up to block him determined not to let him score, but as Kiyoshi released the ball a foul was called on Midorima. With only two seconds left Kiyoshi went to take his free throws. Ryuto sat down on the bench and released his breath, all the excitement was going to kill him. As Kiysohi released his first shot the tension in the air was extreme, everyone prayed for him to make it. Once the ball went in Seirin's bench exploded in excitement. Even with the excitement winning meant Kiyoshi had make it, or accept the possibility of a tie. _Midorima takes too long to shoot the threes from the base line. Two seconds won't be enough for him to shoot_ Ryuto thought to himself. As Kiyoshi set up for his second shot the tension in the air was once again at the highest. The court was so silent you could hear a pin drop and it would create an echo. As Kiyohsi released the ball everyone once again prayed that it would go in. The coach even went the extra mile and looked like she was actually praying. As the ball reached the rim everything seemed to be in slow motion. The ball then bounced off the rim and everyone jumped for it. It seemed that Otsubo was going to be the one who got it, but Kagami ended up grabbing it instead. After landing he went up for a shot, but Midroima went to block him. One tried to push the ball into the basket while the other tried to not allow it to enter the basket. They seemed to be locked in battle for longer than a minute. Then the buzzer rang, the two locked in battle looked towards the scoreboard for a moment and the ball was sent spiraling upwards. Everyone was silent, since there were no overtime rules the game was a tie. Ryuto looked towards both team, they were both exhausted. Even if there was an overtime, the starters could barely play it; let alone finish it. While the four crowded around Kiyoshi to talk Midorima walked over to Ryuto.

"I'm pretty sure you're not satisfied with this result." Midorima said. "It's better than loosing that's for damn sure." Ryuto replied. "I will stop you one day." Midorima said extending his hand. "I'll wait for that day to come." Ryuto said shaking hands with his opponent.

Midorima then moved on to talk to Kagami, while Ryuto sat back down with a determined smile on his face. While both team headed towards the locker room, Ryuto and Takao were talking about what laid ahead.

"In Winter Cup I will beat you Ryu-chan." Takao said determined. "That's basically what Midorima said Tao. But either way, good luck. I don't plan on just handing you the victory." Ryuto replied. "Has anyone said you're annoying?" Takao asked. "Every once in a while." Ryuto said with a laugh.

Back in the locker room everyone was talking about how the game ended. Ryuto rested aginst the wall watching everything unfold. He smiled to himself, he remembered with is like to be with a team full of excitement. He watched as Kuroko left looking for #2, all the while Kagami protested about the dog. He then heard someone clear their throat to get attention. He looked up to find Hyūga standing in front of him with Izuki close behind. There was a short silence between them before Hyūga spoke up.

"Sorry about my comment's earlier in the game. I was just saying what was on my mind." Hyūga apologized. "No need. You had all the right reasons for saying it. It was my reaction that was a bit over the top." Ryuto replied with a hand behind his head and an embarrassed smile. "Kagami explained what was going on in your head. Or at least gave us a picture." Izuki chimed in. "Sometimes when I want to win really bad I tend to forget about passing and those types of things." Ryuto explained. "But it was thanks to you that we had a good lead in at the start of the second quarter." Hyūga said. "Trust me it won't happen again." Ryuto said. "Okay then thanks for hearing me out." Hyūga said turning back to the commotion.

Ryuto smile faded after that. His mind was only thinking about one thing, if using the Zone would cost him his relationship with his team. _If I'm going to feel isolated from everyone this is not a strength I want to have_ Ryuto said to himself.

 **AN: Here ends another chapter. For Ryuto's Zone I wanted it to be something he rejects at first, because of what was explained. Just to clarify Ryuto WAS NOT in the Zone this game, he was just going full strength, but no Zone yet(I did drop hints that he was slowly going into it as the game passed, in case you did not catch them). Everyone was quick to accept that overwhelming strength in the show, so here I decided to give a reason for why they do(more or less). If you want to know what abilities he gets while in the Zone, I'll tell you one: he's a lot faster than before, faster than Aomine in the Zone. There are a few more things he can do, but those will be unveiled as we go. Anyways hope you enjoyed this new chapter and stay tuned for the next one. If you have any suggestions on something you want me to add in just write in the comments and I'll see if I can add them. Remember to review, follow, and/or favorite if you haven't already.**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: Here is another chapter. Sorry this one took so long, school has bee a bit overwhelming. So I apologize for the wait, but this is the longest chapter yet. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Remember I do not own KnB, I only own my character.**

Chapter 13

Vs. Kirisaki Dai Ichi

After everyone started to leave the locker room, only Kiyoshi was left. He seemed to be struggling to stand, he kept gripping his knee and wincing. He looked like he was in a lot of pain. Hyūga went to talk to him while Ryuto was still in the locker room gathering his things, he decided to keep quite and disappear while the two talked. Hyūga commented that it was unnatural for Kiyoshi to miss a free throw, with Kiyoshi responding if he knew. Hyūga answered that he had suppositions and said that he should not play during the Kirisaki Dai Ichi game. With Kiyoshi responded that this year would be his last chance and that he would play even if it destroyed his knee's. Ryuto remained silent, but was nonetheless surprised. He had his suspicions as well about Kyoshi, but his outburst confirmed what he was thinking. Eventually the two left the locker room leaving only Ryuto to his thoughts. Ryuto then exited the locker and ran over to Kagami and Hyūga, who were meeting up with Kuroko at the exit. As the four walked towards their respective homes Kagami would not stop staring at Hyūga. Knowing, more or less, the reason Ryuto decided to keep quiet. Kuroko eventually noticed Kagami's gaze and asked him what was wrong. Kagami stopped and asked Hyūga what was Kiyoshi talking about back in the locker room.

"I would like to know as well. Though I have a pretty good idea." Ryuto said. "You heard too?" Hyūga asked. "I was in the locker room while you two were talking, but basically hid and over heard." Ryuto explained.

Hyūga sighed and leaned on the railing of the bridge they were on. He took a deep breath and started to explain why Kiyoshi was upset and angry. Hyūga explained that back in their first year at Seirin, the school did not have a basketball team. At the beginning of the school year, he ran into Kiyoshi and he stated that he was going to start the basketball club, along with Hyūga. Hyūga denied the proposition; however, but Kiyoshi kept following him around pestering him about starting the club. He kept explaining that the idea of making a team was still on Kiyoshi's mind, they even tried to recruit Riko on being the manager; which she declined. He went on to say that Riko went to him to talk about the club forming. He tried to convince her that he was doing stuff now that he was not playing basketball, but she did not seemed convince her. He continued saying that something she said to him hit a nerve and he stayed silent as she walked away. Eventually Kiyoshi met up with him again, but this time he remained silent. They continued to walk together going no where in particular. Hyūga said that he was not going to join so he should stop asking. Kiyoshi said that he would stop asking only if Hyūga could beat him in a one-on-one, he said this as they arrived to a basketball court. As the two played Kiyoshi was quick to overwhelm Hyūga, as Hyūga continued to try to shoot Kiyoshi would be there to block him; while Kiyoshi would score point after point. Once their bout ended, Kiyoshi said for Hyūga to stop giving un on giving up basketball. Kiyoshi explained that even he tasted defeat by the Generation of Miracles, but he still continued to play despite that. Hyūga then let out an outburst of emotion, which made Kiyoshi stay silent. Before Kiyoshi left for his house he said that after that day he would no longer follow Hyūga around. The next day what would soon be the Seirin Basketball Team gathered on the roof of the school, ready to declare their dreams for the team. Kiyoshi grabbed onto the railing and yelled out his name and class plus what he wanted the team to achieve. He was followed by Izuk,i then Koga, and finally Mitobe(who Koga talked for him). The Hyūga walked onto the roof saying that he was joining because he wanted to beat Kiyoshi. He then walked towards the railing and announced his name and class. After their announcement on the roof Riko decided to join the team At their first practice Hyūga was nominated as the captain and their training went underway. At their first Inter-High they managed to surprise the opponents, because of both Kiysohi and their skills. During their final game of the preliminaries the newly formed Seirin was playing Kirisaki Dai Ichi. Seirin began strong since the beginning and would not let up. Their main scorers were Hyūga and Kiyoshi, with threes and inside shots. Eventually Kirisaki Dai Ichi brought in Hanamiya Makoto an Uncrowned King, just like Kiyoshi. On a rebound Hanamiya made a signal to the center and when both landed, the center landed on Kiyoshi's knee. Kiyoshi fell to the ground screaming in pain. Hyūga tried to prove what Hanamiya had done, but to no avail. Seirin ended up winning the game, but they lost something as well; Kiyoshi. When the team went to visit Kiyoshi at the hospital he said that he was fine just a bad sprain. The team seemed relieved, but Hyūga and Riko knew otherwise. After everyone had gone Hyūga returned to talk to Kiyoshi saying that he would never leave a game just because of a sprain. Kiyoshi tried to play it off again, but to no avail. Kiyoshi explained that he would most likely not be returning. He had alternatives, but none of them were good. Hyūga went on to say that they could become the best next year, much to Kiyoshi's surprise. Hyūga explained that on the roof he did not say they would become the best in Japan, and that maybe he was the one thinking they could not become the best. Kiyoshi then apologized and said to wait for him, so they could become the best together. After that Hyūga finished his story. Ryuto remained silent, processing everything in his mind. It was similar to what had happened to him, not too long ago, but not as drastic. The three had remained silent after Hyūga finished the story, Kagami had a solemn expression. Hyūga told him to stop with the expression and told him it is just an old story. He went on to say that this would be his last year playing with Kiyoshi, so he did not want any regrets. Ryuto knew that feeling, the same had happened to him when he was made captain in middle school. The previous captain did such a good job leading the team he did not want any regrets when he took over. The four went their separate ways to go to each of their respective homes. When Ryuto entered through the door of his he announced his presence.

"Aunty, Uncle I'm home!" Ryuto announced. "Glad you made it home safely. Go take a shower, dinner will be ready soon." his uncle said from the kitchen.

Ryuto walked up the stairs and opened the door to his room. He put his bag on his desk chair, he then let out a sigh and laid down on the bed. He still could not shake the feeling of isolation he had during the game.

"Nice game today." a bubbly voice said from the door.

Ryuto sat up and saw Satsuki leaning on the door with a smile.

"Yeah it was a tough one." Ryuto said. "I arrived to see it at around the second quarter. Ki-chan told me about how you the played the first quarter." Satsuki said. "Oh yeah, the first quarter." Ryuto said silently. "Are you alright?" Satsuki asked. "Yeah I'm fine just tired. Going to go take a shower." Ryuto said taking off his jacket.

After showering and dinner Ryuto returned to his room and once again laid down on his bed staring at the roof. He felt like he was staring for hours. He then began to imagine a game of him going full strength. The first opponent he imagined was against Kise, after Kise it was Aomine, and finally against Seijūrō. Ryuto sighed he knew those games were coming, but did not know when. A few moments later he found himself drifting off and fell asleep. The next day the team was warming up for their game against Kirisaki Dai Ichi. They did simple stuff shooting layups and shot jump shots. Ryuto looked around his teammates, the second years seemed the most on edge. Ryuto looked up towards the stand after hearing some kind of commontion. He looked up to find Kaijo's starters sitting down. He waved towards Kasamatsu who waved back and Kise decided to wave as well, even if it was not directed to him. Ryuto sighed and scanned the stands again. On the other side he saw Satsuki along with the rest of Tōō, plus Aomine. Aomine and Ryuto locked gazes for a moment, then separated when Satsuki waved hello to her cousin; to which Ryuto waved back. He then turned back to practicing with the team. Ryuto looked over his shoulder to see Hanamiya and Kiyoshi talking, followed by Hyūga who seemed to be threatening him. Hyūga looked like he was going to get physical, but was stopped by Kagami and Kuroko; they said to Hanamiya that they were not going to loose. The buzzer then sounded ending the warm up period. The starters gathered on the bench, while Ryuto studied their opponents. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary other then Hanamiya's personality. _After meeting Imayoshi and now this guy, I should stop calling Tao a sadist_ Ryuto thought to himself. Before Kiyoshi went onto the court Ryuto stopped him by placing his hand on his shoulder. Kiyoshi looked back with a curious look on his face.

"I know how much this means to you. A word of advice: don't push it." Ryuto said. "I'll be fine trust me." Kiyoshi said as he walked towards the center of the court.

Even with that Ryuto still felt something bad was going to happen. As the referee threw the ball into the air Kiyoshi hit it and Izuki got the ball. Izuki then passed directly to Kuroko, who used the Vanishing Drive to get past his defender. He the passed it to Kiyoshi who scored the first point of the game. Up in the stands Aomine seemed to be surprised at Kuroko's new skill. His eyes then looked towards Ryuto, who was sitting on the bench. _Satsuki also mention Ryuto having overwhelmed Midorima, but he's not even playing_ Aomine thought to himself. On Kirisaki Dai Ichi's offensive possession Hanamiya had the ball at the three point line. Ryuto watched closely as Kirisaki Dai Ichi moved around. Hyūga was then screened by number 10, but not the usual screen it was almost like an American Football blcok; no foul was called. The ball was passed to number 7, who took a shot but missed. Kagami was about to go up for the rebound, but number 10 was stepping on his foot not allowing for him to jump. Number 10 then got the ball, but as he came down he swung his elbow back almost hitting Kagami, and shot it making it. Ryuto could only watch at how they used their rough play, it was in the referee's blind spot so nothing was going to be called. On the bench Mitobe, Koga, and Tsuchida were looking at the data from Kirisaki Dai Ichi's previous games. They noticed that they all had injuries and it was towards the best players. On Seirin's offensive possession, the ball was shot but bounced off the rim. Kiyoshi tried to go up for the rebound, but was stopped by number ten standing on his foot. Number 7 went up to grab the ball and as he came back down he was trying to his Hyūga in the face with his elbow. Hyūga braced for what was coming, but the hit was stopped by Kiyoshi. Then number 7 threw the ball down the court to Hanamiya, who out maneuvered Izuki to score a point. As Hanamiya went back for defense he stopped next to Kiyoshi, Ryuto could not hear what he had said, but it caused something to tick inside of Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi then turned to say that he would not loose to him with anger.

"I know you don't want to hear this, but I recommend you sit him down for a few minutes." Ryuto said to the coach. "What are you talking about? He's just determined." the coach said. "I realize that, but if this continues it might mean bad news. Don't pretend you don't notice his rage." Ryuto said turning back to the game.

As the game continued Kirisaki Dai Ichi continued with their rough play, Seirin could barely play offense let alone defense. On a defensive rebound Kagami avoided being stepped on by number 10, but he was then elbowed in the stomach by the latter and number 10 scored. Ryuto looked at Kagami as the anger vented out of him. Kagami then turned to punch number 10

" _Taiga don't!"_ Ryuto yelled out in English.

Before he could land it Kuroko tripped him and it seemed to calm him down, to an extent. Ryuto let out a relieved sigh, he was thankful the team had Kuroko. Kagami then apologized for his brashness and during a timeout he was hit by the coach. Ryuto could see the bruise on Hyūga's arm, the opponents rough play was a bit too rough. _Do they think this is a death match or something_ Ryuto thought to himself. The Kiyoshi said something that surprised everyone; he would guard the inside alone on both offense and defense. Hyūga tried to refute by saying that if he was the only one on the inside he would be targeted. Kiyoshi said that he knew the risk, and that he was willing to do it, so that none of his friends would get hurt. Ryuto respect the selflessness, but at the same time it was a bit selfish for him to do this. The coach also tried to say that it was the wrong plan, and that if he was going to do he should be subbed out. Kiyoshi said that this game was the reason he came back and the if he was subbed out now he would hate her for the rest of his life. That last comment was what hit a nerve for Ryuto, hating someone for looking out for them was not something he was going to stay quiet about.

"And, what will happen of they break every bone in your body? What then?" Ryuto asked angrily to Kiyoshi. "You don't understand." Kiyoshi said. "I understand pretty damn well!" Ryuto said. "You're just too clouded to see how much everyone on this team cares about you. I haven't known you long enough to fully understand your situation. But I do understand the feeling you're going though. I came to Japan for one reason, to beat two people. We've already lost to one and the second is self-centered asshole. So I understand what you're feeling right now." Ryuto said.

Kiyoshi did not respond, while everyone else could only stare at the two. The the buzzer sounded signaling the end of the time out. The starters went onto the court and Ryuto sat back down, with a face of frustration. He looked over to his side and saw that the coach was silent. He sighed and placed his arm to her opposite shoulder.

"He's just frustrated he didn't mean it. No one can hate you." Ryuto said to her. "Thanks Ryuto." the coach said silently.

As the game continued, Kiyoshi did as he said he was going to do; he was the only one on the inside. Hyūga went for a shot and missed Kiyoshi tried to jump up, but was hit by numbers ten and twelve. He then avoided their assaults and grabbed the rebound and scored. As the quarter continued Kiyoshi continued to take all the damage that was dealt to him without a second though. Ryuto began to wonder of he could take anymore. Hyūga then yelled for the ball to got him. Ryuto chuckled a bit this was when Hyūga really made all his shots. The ball was passed to him but he still missed and Kirisaki Dai Ichi got the rebound. On their offensive possession Kuroko managed to get the ball away from the opponent and Kagami caught it. He then drove down the court, but was blocked by number 10. He tried to get away from him, but drew a charging foul. During another offensive possession of Kirisaki Dai Ichi, the ball was shot but missed. Hanamiya gave some kind of signal by snapping and Kiyoshi was tripped. Number 7 came down with the ball and his forearm landed on Kiyoshi's forehead as he hit the floor. Kiyoshi stayed motionless for a few moments, but then he began to stand up. As he stood up he said that he returned so that he could defend his team. Ryuto sighed Kiyoshi was defiantly a boy scout. The game continued after that. Seirin, with newfound determination, pulled ahead at the end of the second quarter. Ryuto watched as Hanamiya started to storm off the court, pissed about something. He then bumped into Kuroko and shoved him out of the way. Ryuto went to defend his friend, but was stopped by Izuki; he told Ryuto not to get involved. Kuroko then asked Hanamiya why he played in such an underhanded way. He continued by saying if he enjoyed winning that way. Ryuto noticed the subtle death stare Hanamiya gave Kuroko as he turned to him. He them started to say a sob story; saying that if he did not use his play style how could he beat teams with members of the Generation of Miracles. He then shed a tear. _The bastard actually shed a tear to make his sob story believable_ Ryuto thought to himself. Hanamiya then began to laugh saying that the misfortune of others was something sweet to him. Ryuto gritted his teeth and tightened his fist, saying something like that really pissed him off. Hanamiya then leaned in close to Kuroko and said that he does enjoy his style. Ryuto disappeared to get close and forcefully separated Hanamiya form Kuroko.

"You really piss me off." Ryuto said with stormy grey eyes. "I wasn't finished. What I did to your seniors last year was a masterpiece." Hanamiya said. "And if you're not careful Gurē*, the same thing will happen to you." Hanamiya said happily. "Who said you're going to be touching me." Ryuto threatened. "Don't think I'm done with you yet." Hanamiya said walking off. "Come on Kuroko, it's not worth it to do anything yet." Ryuto said as his eyes returned to normal.

In the locker room Kagami kicked one of the benches in frustration, which brought along scolding from the coach. Ryuto looked over to Kiyoshi, who seemed worse for wear. He silently cursed the guy for being so stoic. Ryuto then looked over to where Kagami was, he had sat down next to Kuroko, who seemed to be staring into space. Ryuto then got a closer look of Kuroko's face and it only showed anger, and a lot of it. _Damn I would not want to be the guy Kuroko is angry at_ Ryuto thought to himself. He then walked over to Kiyoshi, who looked up to him; both of them did not say word to each other. Ryuto then spoke up.

"Have you thought about what I said to you?" Ryuto asked.

There was only silence form Kiyoshi as he started to looked down.

"Do you have an answer, or response?" Ryuto asked. "You're right." Kiyoshi said quietly. "About?" Ryuto said raising an eyebrow. "That I was too clouded to see straight." Kiyoshi admitted. "I'm not saying that you should sit out, but I think that you need some time to rest. Let those bruises heal a bit." Ryuto said. "I'll think about it." Kiyoshi said.

Once halftime had ended the team walked back onto the court. Kiyoshi said that he still could play, despite his body saying the contrary. As the game resumed, the ball was passed to Kuroko; with number 10 marking him. Kuroko took sometime to do his drive, but once he did he managed to get past two defenders. He then threw the ball upwards for an alley-oop with Kagami; Seirin scored the first points of the second half. After a few more minutes Kuroko was subbed out for Ryuto. The two high-fived and Kuroko game him his mark; number 8. As Ryuto entered the court he looked up towards Aomine and the two locked gazes for a moment before Ryuto turned to his team.

"So their finally putting him in; Seirin's shadow ace." Imayoshi said intrigued. "Shadow ace? Wouldn't that be number 11?" Wakamatsu asked. "You have to watch number 14 to fully understand why he's the shadow ace." Imayoshi said.

"Ryuto's finally entering." Kasamatsu said. "But why now? And why not for number 7?" Kise asked. "I have no idea, but if Ryuto's entering Seirin's determined to score a lot this quarter." Kasamtasu said.

Ryuto gather with the team on the court, they gave him his instructions and Ryuto set up. He could see Hanamiya watching him out of the corner of his eye. Ryuto smiled Hanamiya would not be able to touch him. Hanamiya then subbed someone in, much to everyone's surprise. He subbed in the player that was sleeping on the bench for most of the match. Hanamiya then looked towards Ryuto.

"I told you to be careful Gurē." Hanamiya said with a smile.

On Kirisaki Dai Ichi's offensive possession they shot the ball but missed, and returned to defense. Ryuto watched as the new center barely did anything on the rebound, he had just jumped. On Seirin's offense Izuki drove down the court with the ball, he tried to pass but was cutoff by Hanamiya; who proceeded to score. On the next offense for Seirin the ball was stole again. Ryuto noticed on how their center moved around before the ball was passed, something about that sent blaring alarms to his head. Once again Kirisaki Dai Ichi scored on the steal. Number 7 then told Hyūga that they were not going to score again saying that they were trapped in the spider web.

"Oi, Izuki!" Ryuto called out. "Yeah?" Izuki responded. "Let me play point guard." Ryuto said. "You sure?" Izuki asked. "Trust I'm going to knock them off balance, then you can return." Ryuto said. "Izuki do as he says." the coach said.

Izuki nodded and gave Ryuto the ball for him to bring it down. Ryuto stood at the three point line, dribbling the ball with his left hand. Hanamiya seemed surprised that Ryuto was playing point guard. Ryuto could see the center staring at him calculating what his move was going to be.

"Even if you change point guards, I'll still steal the ball." Hanamiya said. Ryuto scoffed, "Who said I was going to pass?"

Ryuto crossed over to his right hand then back to his left and disappeared from in front of Hanamiya. He looked back to see Ryuto scoring a lay up. Hanamiya then gritted his teeth in frustration. The crowd erupted in cheers of amazement, their comments ranged from; "What was that?" to "How did he score?" With Tōō in the stands Imayoshi laughed saying that that crossover was impossible to defeat, while Aomine was unimpressed. With Kaijo all of them were in awe at the speed of which Ryuto made it to the basket. Kasamatsu pointed out that there was no way for Hanamiya to stop his crossover. As the game continued Ryuto was use his crossover to get around Hanamiya then pass to an open man. Whenever he would get past Hanamiya, Ryuto could see the frustration boiling up. On one of Seirin's offensive possession's Ryuto stood at the three point line dribbling the ball with his right. He could see as Hanamiya studied him.

"You said you enjoy bringing misery to others, right?" Ryuto asked. "What of it?" Hanamiya replied frustrated. "Nothing I'm just going to humiliate you now." Ryuto said with a smile.

Ryuto crossover to his left then back to his right. Another crossover with a slight movement forwards and another crossover with another movement forwards. He then did the same, but quicker a Hanamiya tripped over himself. He landed on the ground with a surprised look on his face. Ryuto then set up for a shot and made three pointer. The crowd once again erupted in cheers, with Kaijo and Tōō looking in awe at Ryuto's move. As Seirin set up for defense the team patted him on the back congratulating him on his shot.

"He just ankle broke Hanamiya-san?!" Sakurai said in awe. "Who knew Ryuto had that move?" Imayoshi said surprised. "Actually he's had the for a while, but only uses it on certain opponents." Satsuki explained to them. "So no new moves." Aomine said sluggishly.

"I haven't seen that move in a while!" Kise exclaimed. "No doubt he did it to humiliate Hanamiya," Kasamatsu said, "that might have been a mistake though. He's going to be targeted now." Kasamatsu said.

Back on the court Hanamiya's frustration had grew to a higher level.

"I will break him." Hanamiya muttered.

As Kirisaki Dai Ichi went to offense they were able to score a point. On the inbound Ryuto was given the ball. He dribbled for a moment then passed it to Izuki.

"They should be off balance enough for you to resume playing point guard." Ryuto said. "Thanks, and good work." Izuki said as he started to dribble the ball down the court.

As soon as the switch of point guards was made everything went to hell. Hanamiya was able to start his steals again. Ryuto was surprised that the switching of point guards did not throw them off. _They must have held back until we switched back. Sneaky bastard that Hanamiya_ Ryuto thought to himself. For the rest of the quarter Izuki's passes were being stolen. Ryuto was analyzing to the best of his abilities, but the only thing different was that before Izuki would pass the center would move. After another pass from Izuki was stolen by Hanamiya, Ryuto began to notice the pattern. The center would move to open up a passing lane, and Hanamiya would steal the ball when that lane was used. _This really is like a web. I can't do anything against that_ Ryuto thought to himself. Once the quarter ended the only point Seirin had managed to score were from the dunk at the beginning at Ryuto's two shots. With all the steals Hanamiya had done Kirisaki Dai Ichi had managed to get the lead. On the bench Izuki yelled out in frustration and Koga tried to calm him down. Ryuto walked over to his teammate and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I thought I knocked them off balance, but they just adjusted their plan until you returned to point guard." Ryuto apologized. "You don't need to apologize, you did your best." Izuki said.

Ryuto then sat down on the bench and tried his best to analyze the was Hanamiya's plan worked and how to counter it. As the bench was silent Kuroko spoke up saying that there he had a way to free them form the trap. He explained that if he stopped playing with the team. Everyone had a surprised look on their faces, except for Ryuto. He had analyzed Kuroko enough to understand what he was talking about. Ryuto decided to keep quiet about what Kuroko had said, deciding that if the team knew what was coming it would be less effective. The coach then told Kuroko to switch with Ryuto. Ryuto nodded and high fived his teammate before he entered the court.

"I know what you're up to." Ryuto said to him. "I'm aware. Your analytical skills are quiet impressive." Kuroko said a she walked onto the court.

"So they benched Ryuto to bring Kuroko in. I wonder what Seirin has planned?" Kasamatsu pondered. "They're bringing out the trump card." Kise said.

Seirin started the quarter on offense, Izuki looked around to find an open player. Kirisaki Dai Ichi's center moved to open up the passing lane and Izuki passed to Kiyoshi. Hanamiya went to scut it off, but Kuroko appeared passing the ball towards and unsuspecting Kagami. Kagami had managed to catch the ball and dunked scoring Seirin's first point of the quarter. Ryuto smiled, not even Hanamiya would be able to intercept a pass that not even the team saw coming and Hanamiya's surprised look also brought a simile to his face. As the game continued Kuroko kept redirecting passes that were going to be stolen. For Seirin it had gotten to the point that they knew what to expect, but still did not expect it. _This is what happens when everyone trusts each other_ Ryuto thought to himself. During the halfway point of the fourth quarter Seirin had managed to catch up, but they were still behind by five points. On offense the ball was passed to Hyūga who shot, but missed. Kiyoshi was going to go up for the rebound, but was hit several times and could not jump. Ryuto watched as he practically limped towards defense. Then the coach shot up from her seat and looked towards Ryuto.

"You're going in for him." the coach said sternly.

Ryuto nodded and got ready to be put into the game. The buzzer sounded for a time out and Seirin gathered on their bench. The first thing that coach said was the Kiyoshi was going to sit out. Kiyoshi began to argue, but the coach said she did not want a repeat of what happened last time. Kuroko spoke up and said that he agreed with the coaches decision. Kuroko said that he never had an older brother, but hearing Kiyoshi say that he would protect them made him feel like he did. He continued by saying that he did not want him to push himself any longer. Hyūga then yelled for Kiyoshi to stop being so hard headed and leave the rest to everyone else. Ryuto then walked over to Kiyoshi and held out his hand to confirm the switch. Kiysoshi hesitated to do it, but when he looked up to see Ryuto's face he was smiling.

"Trust in us. We'll protect you this time." Ryuto said.

Kiyoshi let out a sigh and said the he was leaving everything to them. As the team headed out for the the court Hyūga yelled out that they would handle it. As Kiyoshi sat down he let out a sigh and winced a bit at his pain.

"You were right, Riko." Kiyoshi said. "About?" the coach asked. "Ryuto. When you told me about the new players you said that in order for me to understand Ryuto I had to see him play. Now I understand what you meant. The team really trusts him." Kiyoshi admitted. "Yeah they do. If Hyūga were to ever step down as captain, Ryuto can fill that void really quick." the coach said with a smile.

As the quarter resumed Seirin had possession. Izuki drove down the court and went to pass towards Kagami, but Kuroko sent it towards Hyūga before it could be stolen. Hyūga received the ball with a surprised look, he went up to shoot but he missed. As Ryuto was about to jump he felt himself being elbowed by number 5 and was not able to jump for the rebound. _So this is what Kiyoshi had to endure. I have new found respect for the guy_ Ryuto thought to himself. On Seirin's next offensive Hyūga drove down the court, he called out to Kagami to pass it to him, but was cut off by Hanamiya. Hyūga tried to outmaneuver Hanamiya, but the ball was tipped out of his hands and went towards the outside. Hyūga and Hanamiya darted after the ball, but it had made it to the out of bounds before they could reach it. The two stopped and Kiysohi grabbed the ball stared at Hyūga for a moment before giving the ball to Izuki for the inbound. Hyūga moved towards the three point line, but was guarded by number 7. Ryuto set up a screen so he could get away, and Ryuto smiled as he saw Hyūga's new expression; it was one of determination. Izuki passed the ball to Kuroko, who sent it towards Hyūga. He set up for a shot and this time he made it in. Everyone cheered as Seirin set up for offense and Ryuto patted his captain on the back saying: "Nice shot." On defense Hanamiya drove down the court and Izuki was quick to defend him. As Hanamiya tried to get away from him Kuroko swatted the ball away and Izuki recovered it. Izuki then passed to Hyūga, who set up for a shot, but number 7 jumped to block him. Hyūga, however, faked and passed to Ryuto who scored a lay up. On Kirisaki Dai Ichi's offensive possession, Hanamiya passed to the center who scored a lay up. Hyūga then yelled out in determination that they would score on offense, pumping everyone on the court up. On Seirin's offensive possession they managed to score with on of Hyūga's threes, keeping the game close. On Kirisaki Dai Ichi's offensive possession number 7 brought down the ball. As Hanamiya moved around the court Izuki was screened by number 10 and called out for Kuroko to switched marks with him. The ball was then passed to Hanamiya, as he received the ball Ryuto saw the murderous look in his eyes. Ryuto darted over to help his friend, but was relieved when he saw him dodge it. Then Hanamiya's face changed from rage to mischief and darted away form Kuroko. Hyūga and Ryuto went to block him, but he stopped mid drive and stepped backwards. He then turned the ball towards the basket and shot it. The ball went in with barely any motion on the net of the basket. Hanamiya then said that they thought he could only play aggressively and steal. He continued saying that he could score whenever he wanted and even if he would not break anyone he was still going to win. Kuroko then said that he would not allow for Hanamiya to crush everyone's dreams and sent an Ignite Pass down the court to Kagami, who dunked the ball scoring another point for Seirin. During Kirisaki Dai Ichi's inbound Seirin's defense had switched to full court. As the ball was inbounded Hyūga cut it off and scored right after Kagami. After that victory for Kirisaki Dai Ichi was not possible. Seirin had scored point after point from that moment. The ending buzzer sounded as Hyūga shot one last three. Seirin had won 76-70. The entire team gathered on the court to celebrate their victory and entrance to the Winter Cup, even Ryuto could not help but getting emotional. Ryuto looked over his shoulder to see Hyūga high fiving with Kiyoshi, he smiled a bit knowing that that was something they had never done. He then looked over to the coach who was getting emotion, like she would always do after a tough game was won. He walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Even the bitterest can become friends, and even the most clouded can see clearly." Ryuto said to her. "That made absolutely no sense." the coach said laughing. "Oh come on! Cut me some slack alright, I was trying to sound wise." Ryuto said in frustration.

The two then laughed, it was a happy moment for the whole team. Ryuto then headed back to where the team was gather and saw as Hanamiya approached Hyūga and Kiyoshi. He started to say that he admitted defeat and continued saying that he was sorry to Kiyoshi. His sadness then shifted to anger, with Hanamiya saying that he would never say something like that. He continued saying that he'll make them regret beating him and dismantling their plans. Kiysohi then said that he would like to play Hanamiya again saying that the last shot he made was impressive. Hanamiya then began to yell in frustration. On the Tōō's side of the stands Aomine stood up saying that he was leaving. Satsuski tried to stop him saying that Shutoku's game had not ended. Aomine replied saying that Midorima would not loose.

"I'm tired of waiting. I could see that Ryu was holding back this game, and Seirin seems to have gotten stronger. I can't wait until I show Ryu just how far away he is from beating me." Aomine said with a smile as he walked away.

Back with Seirin as they walked off the court Shutoku's game had just ended, with victory going to them. He looked towards Midorima who had a smile on his face. _Looks like Winter Cup is going to be interesting_ Ryuto thought to himself. In the locker room everyone was gathering up their things to leave. As Ryuto finished packing he saw Kuroko leaving and Kagami right behind him. He wanted to follow, but he felt his phone buzz. He pulled it out and saw the name, his eyes widened. He then left the room to answer the phone. As he left the coach asked where Kuroko had gone, with the response that he went out with Kagami looking for him. She then asked where Ryuto disappeared. With Furihata saying that he had muttered something about a phone call before he left. As Ryuto went to answer the phone the person on the other line and him stayed silent for a moment.

"What? No greeting?" the voice asked. "I already know why you're calling me Seijūrō." Ryuto answered. "I guess thats true," Seijūrō replied, " anyways, congratulations on entering Winter Cup. I heard today's match was quite the nail biter." "I'm still wondering how you find out these things so fast." Ryuto asked. "I have my resources." Seijūrō answered. "Is this the part where you start to mock my choices?" Ryuto asked. "No need for that. I'll see you at Winter Cup." Seijūrō said hanging up.

Ryuto tightened the grip on his phone in frustration, he really hated that personality of his. As he returned to the team he got yelled at for disappearing. After that the team went out to look for Kuroko and Kagami who had yet to return. The walked outside the gym and noticed them playing one-on-one in a court nearby. Hyūga scolded them for disappearing to play, to which all Ryuto could do was smile at their obvious excitement. He looked up to the sky, knowing that Winter Cup was going to be difficult.

 **AN: And so another chapter come to a close. I hope you enjoyed. Not much to say about what happens here, it more or less parallel to what happened on the show with a bit of me mixed in. Trust me when the Winter Cup games roll around a lot more of me will be added. But anyways, like I said before I hope you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for the next. BTW the questions are still open, but I'm thinking about just doing it anyways since no one has answered. Remember to review, follow, and/or favorite if you haven't already. If you have any suggestions on something I could add write it down in the reviews and I'll try to add it in.**

 ***Gurē: Gray in Japanese**


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: Here is a new chapter. I have had this chapter planned out since I started this story(clarifications on that at the end of the story). I hope you enjoy this chapter. Remember I do not own KnB, I only own my character.**

Chapter 14

Mountaineer

A few days after the game everyone was gathered and the coach suggested to go to a hot spring that was near by. Everyone seemed thrilled with idea, including Ryuto. When they set off towards the hot spring Ryuto made sure to call Satsuki that he was not going to home just yet. After leaving her a message the team arrived at the hot spring, everyone seemed eager to enter the water. Ryuto was getting nervous since he did not know the protocol of being in a hot spring.

"Yo Taiga." Ryuto called out to his friend. "What's up?" Kagami asked. "What exactly is the protocol of being in a hot spring?" Ryuto asked. "I honestly have no clue. I'm going to go in with some extra shorts I brought." Kagami answered. "I guess I'll do that too." Ryuto said.

Once Ryuto got in the water he felt himself feeling very relaxed. This was his first time in a hot spring and it felt good. Ryuto let the water soak him from head to toe as he submerged himself in the water, he then rested on the wall and relaxed. He could hear everyone around them making comments about every little thing. He then saw Furihata, Kawahara, and Fukuda preparing to enter the water. Hyūga then began to tell them to not wear their towels across their wastes. Ryuto saw that Hyūga had stood up and looked away to not see his genitals. Hyūga then pointed out for them to look towards Kagami. He looked towards his waist and was surprised to see he was wearing shorts. Kagami responded that he had never been in a hot spring before, so he did not know what to wear.

"Same goes for me captain." Ryuto said standing up but looking away from him. "You too, kids form abroad." Hyūga said disappointed.

Ryuto then decided to exit the hot spring and joined Kagami. Hyūga soon after exited as well saying that the underclassmen were going to wash the seniors backs. He then sat down on a chair and waited while pointing to his back. Ryuto looked away, due to feeling uncomfortable from all the nakedness and how everyone seemed alright with it. He looked back towards Hyūga who was lying on the ground with a large scratch on his back. He then saw Izuki scolding Kagami for using a brush that was for cleaning. He then looked over towards Kuroko, who was cleaning #2. Ryuto smiled, at least one thing was not uncomfortable for him to watch. Then some laughing was heard over by the women's bath, with Kiyoshi saying that things were pretty lively. Koga then took it upon himself to try to peak over to the girls side.

"Come one guys. That's a bit pervy if you ask me." Ryuto said. "Exactly, stop acting like children." Izuki said agreeing with Ryuto.

Then there was a commotion about how to peek to the other bath and Kuroko said that he felt dizzy and Kagami went with him for him to rest. Ryuto could tell by Kuroko's face that something else was probably the reason for that dizziness. Eventually the peeking came to ahead when Fukuda found a small hole for them to look through. Ryuto could only face palm at the maturity of the team, and form the the look on Izuki's face he would agree with him. Then the coach appeared out of nowhere and scolded everyone, minus Ryuto and Kiyoshi, who stared at everything with fear and surprise. After everyone recuperated from the scolding, a voice called out saying that they were quite lively. Seirin turned to see Tōō sitting there watching everything. _If their here, then Aomine should be close by_ Ryuto thought to himself. Imayoshi explained that they were nearby so they decided to stop at the hot spring to relax.

"That's bullshit!" Ryuto called out. "Why's that?" Imayoshi asked. "Because I…told Satsuki we were going to be here." Ryuto said slowly and nervously.

Everyone just looked towards Ryuto blankly, no one said anything. Feeling too many eyeballs staring at him he shuffled off to the changing room. Ryuto out a sigh as he out on a shirt he felt more nervous now than uncomfortable. As he exited the changing room he saw Aomine talking to Kuroko. He heard Aomine ask if the Phantom Drive was Kuroko's new move, to which he responded yes saying that he developed it to defeat him. Aomine then scoffed saying that the one that was going to win Winter Cup, but he was cut off with Kagami appearing finishing his sentence with us. Ryuto smiled from the corner he was watching, knowing that Kagami was that confident against Aomine. Aomine then commented that Kagami had managed to open the door and that he only stood at the entrance. He then turned his head to the corner where Ryuto was standing.

"While him, on the other hand, is already past the entrance." Aomine said smiling facing Ryuto.

Ryuto walked out of the the corner he was in and locked gazes with Aomine.

"Satsuki told me you had something new, but you did not use it during that game. Also I could see you holding back all your strength." Aomine said. "I have my reasons to keep my move hidden and I held back because if I go full strength I become something I don't want to be." Ryuto said. "Strong?" Aomine asked smug. "No, isolated." Ryuto said facing him.

The four faced each other silently, until Aomine mentioned that they were going to play him in the first round of Winter Cup. Kuroko smiled saying that he celebrated internally, due to the fact that they were going to be able to repay their debt quickly. Kagami said something similar and crushed the can Aomine had finished to emphasize the point. Ryuto then stepped forwards to say what he wanted to say.

"While here in Japan, I learned somethings. The first being what my name means: 'Ryu' means dragon while 'to' means true. You're about to play against a true dragon." Ryuto said confidently.

Aomine then faced them with a smile stating that he was hoping they could back up what they had said. He then walked off leaving the three Seirin players in the hallway. Ryuto then turned to his friends who seemed to be holding back laughter.

"What?" Ryuto asked. "That was the stupidest thing I've ever heard come out of your mouth Ryuto." Kagami said laughing. "Whatever." Ryuto said with a scoff. "I thought it was quite informative." Kuroko said. "Was that sarcasm Kuroko?" Ryuto asked frustrated.

The next morning everyone gather up their belongings and headed out. Ryuto noticed that Kagami was missing, but he already knew the reason; he had told him. Kuroko then announced that Kagami was missing, with pointing out that his bedhead was ridiculous. Ryuto fought the urge to make another joke about it, but laughed about it nonetheless. The coach then walked out saying that she would explain why Kagami was not around later. As the team prepared to leave the coach said that they were not leaving just yet, that their training camp was about to start; pointing towards a gym.

As the team walked in they were greeted by the coach's dad, Kagetora. He said that no one was allowed to call him dad, he told the the team to address him as Kagetora-san. He then pointed to Ryuto saying that he was the only one allowed to not add the honorific to his name. _Did he really have to say that out loud?_ Ryuto thought to himself. Fukuda then asked why Kagetora was here with them, to which he responded that the coach asked for him to come and that he was going to make them stronger. He then pulled out a gun saying that he was going to punish anyone who saw his daughter naked the day before. Everyone was sent into a panic, with Koga stuttering while he explained. The coach then threw a ball at him saying for his to stop threatening the team. He then said something embarrassing about her and she punched him telling him to start the training. He then turned to the team saying for them to take off their shirts, with everyone getting a sense of nostalgia. He looked at each player and said that they all had some form of improvement. He then told them to split into two groups to play cops and robbers in the mountain; the losers would practice footwork. He then said that he would only do double the practice regime that was normally done. As the team headed out Kagetora stopped Ryuto, because he wanted to talk to him.

"Riko told me about the Shutoku game." Kagetora said. "Did she now?" Ryuto asked. "It was all she talked about, how overwhelming you were, but you had a change in personality after a specific event." Kagetora explained. "I went all out, I didn't hold back." Ryuto replied. "Did you use the Zone?" Kagetora asked. "No. I forced myself to not use it." Ryuto answered. "Why's that?" Kagetora asked. "I felt isolated just by going full strength. So if I used the Zone, I probably would have lost the trust of the team." Ryuto replied somberly. "That's a metal barrier you placed on yourself. Learn how to break that barrier." Kagetora said. " How?" Ryuto asked. "That's something you have to figure out." Kagetora said.

Ryuto sighed and hung his head, he was expecting some kind of help, but all he got was a riddle.

"Now go play cops and robbers. You could use the endurance. Join the cops team." Kagetora said walking away.

Ryuto nodded and headed off to the mountain. When Kagetora entered the gym, Riko asked what he talked about with Ryuto.

"We talked about the game against Shutoku." Kagetora answered. "Did you find a way to help him?" Riko asked. "Well yes and no. He has to find the answer himself, but he needs help finding that answer." Kagetora explained. "Then why didn't you?" Riko asked. "Because it should not come from me, but rather someone on this team. Last time I checked you were the only one who knows about Ryuto's Zone." Kagetora said.

Riko's face suddenly lit up, she had to help her friend figure out his problem. After running around the mountain the team gathered back in the gym. Ryuto could see the coach eyeing him every once in a while, he pondered what it could mean. He then started to listen to Kagetora as he explained what they were going to practice. He explained how Tōō was and what they could do, and saying that being friendly towards one another was not teamwork. He then called out Hyūga by calling him four-eyes, much to his embarrassment. He explained that he should not have dribbled past his defender in the Tōō game since that is his weak point. He continued saying that if he had made all his shots against Kirisaki Dai Ichi, they would have won smoothly. Kagetora then told him to learn how to shoot without screens. Hyūga tried to argue, but Kagetora told him that he was going to show Hyūga what he was talking about. He gave the ball to Izuki and the two set up for a demonstration. Izuki passed the ball to Kagetora, he then moved back and shot in one quick motion. Kagetora went on to explain that teamwork shines when there is a strong group of individuals and that the entire team was going to develop their own weapons for the Winter Cup.

"One of you already has a rather strong weapon at his disposal." Kagetora said alluding Ryuto.

He continued that he would train them for the month leading up to Winter Cup. Everyone thanked Kagetora for helping them with the training and they all seemed determined to start. Then Kuroko began to ask a question, when Koga cut him off asking where Kagami was. Ryuto stayed silent, but he knew where he was going. _He's going home, rather his proving grounds_ Ryuto thought to himself.

 _Flashback_

"Where are you packing to?" Ryuto asked from the doorway. "I'm going somewhere." Kagami asked. "Would that somewhere be in the States?" Ryuto asked pointing to a flight ticket. "There's someone there that can help me." Kagami said. "Other than out middle school coach, I know who you're going to see." Ryuto said. "She can help me get stronger in order to beat Aomine." Kagami said.

Ryuto sighed there was no way he was going to convince him to stay.

"Tell her hi for me. If you're going to see the others too, say hi to them from me." Ryuto said walking away.

 _End Flashback_

As Ryuto finished remembering what Kagami had told him before leaving, he heard everyone yell out in confusion at the fact Kagami was in the States. The coach explained that there was a short-term study abroad program at Seirin, which you go to a sister school for a short period of time. She then said that Kagami was going to learn form the same person who taught him basketball. Hyūga asked when him leaving happened, with the coach saying that she found out last night. She then walked over to Kuroko and gripped hard on his head, clearly causing Kuroko pain. Ryuto winced a bit, but winced even more when the coach walked over to him and punched him on the forearm. Ryuto this time felt a wave of pain, he could faintly hear the coach saying that the first-years were coming and going as they pleased; all Ryuto could think about why he was being punched when he barely leaves. Kuroko then apologized followed by Ryuto, even if he could still not figure out what he did wrong. After having the conversation the team continued on with practice. The losers, as expected, did double the work. After practice had ended every started to leave to take showers or eat. Ryuto stayed on the court dribbling the ball and staring at the basket.

"How long are you going to stare at the basket, Ryuto-kun?" a voice said form the doorway.

Ryuto looked over to see the coach walking into the gym.

"Well…I, uh, was about to try something. Something I'd rather do by myself." Ryuto said hesitantly. "May I ask what that is?" the coach asked. "To be honest I'm not sure yet." Ryuto said while placing a hand behind his head.

The coach sighed and turned to leave.

"Don't stay out too long." she said. "Trust me, I won't." Ryuto called out.

He continued to dribble the ball when she left. He closed his eye's and focused. He felt his consciousness fall into a watery abyss. It fell until it reached a large metal door. Ryuto opened the door with ease, but as he entered he fell once again into another watery abyss. This time falling was a lot harder. The pressure was immense, but something kept him at the surface. Ryuto then opened his eye's and drove towards the basket. He jumped up and dunked that ball, with confidence this time. As he landed back down he grabbed the ball and did it again, and with every repetition he would add a movement to it. Little did he know that through a small opening in the door the coach was watching him. As she watched she could see a trail of grey lightning in Ryuto's eyes. She smiled, he had unlocked it and now she knew how to help him. As Ryuto finished his solo training. He jerked his head side to side and blinked rapidly several times, he felt himself exiting the Zone. _So much power. How am I supposed to use this without losing trust with the team?_ Ryuto thought to himself. He then sighed and took off his sweaty shirt and put on a clean one. He then walked out of the gym and headed to the showers. He let the water soak him for a moment and use it to think about what he was going to do. He then sighed, turned off the water, and exited the shower. He put on a blue long-sleeved shirt and black sweat pants and went outside on a balcony. He stared out towards the wilderness, for some reason it helped him think.

"Thought I might find you out here." a voice said behind him.

Ryuto smiled he did not need to look back to know who it was.

"I thought I told you staring helps me think." Ryuto said turning to to the coach as she stood next to him.

Ryuto could see as the breeze moved her hair similar to leaves on a tree. He smiled, he was happy he had someone like her to talk to.

"Yes you did tell me that." she said. "Are you here to tell to stop worrying again?" Ryuto said. "Well yes, but in a different way." she answered.

Ryuto raised an eyebrow confused. The answer was not something he was expecting.

"I talked to my dad about what he talked to you about." she said. "What do you think about what he said?" Ryuto asked. "I'm going to get to that. I also saw a bit of your solo training." she admitted nervously. "If you wanted to, you could have just stayed there to watch. I wouldn't mind." Ryuto said. "Good to know, but I think I have a way for you to break that sense of isolation when you go all out, this apply's for the Zone too." she explained. "How so?" Ryuto asked. "Try using the Zone to improve the team's capabilities not just your own." she said.

Ryuto stared at her for a moment, he was still processing what she had told him. He turned to face the scenery. Ryuto then smiled and his face brightened up.

"You're right, I'll try. It won't be easy, but I will." Ryuto said with determination.

Riko could only respond with a smile. She then felt arms wrapped around her she opened her eyes to see Ryuto hugging her.

"Sorry." Ryuto apologized pulling back. "No it's fine. It was getting cold anyway." she answered blushing.

Ryuto smiled again and laughed.

"Why are you laughing?" she asked flustered. "It's nothing, you just look really cute when your blushing and getting all flustered." Ryuto said.

Ryuto then went wide eyed realizing what he had just said to her. His face was now bright red with embarrassment. He turned not to face her, but could not help it and turned back to face her. He placed one hand behind his head and another in his pocket as he turned to face her. Her expression was also one of surprise.

"What did you say?" she asked with curiosity. "It was nothing, just… Yeah I have no excuse to give. I said you're cute." Ryuto said nervously and facing the floor.

He looked up to see she had moved closer to him. The two locked gazes they did not say a word to each other.

"How long have you believed that?" she asked breaking the silence. "Since the day we took the but together, when you gave me the club membership form. I was reading the book, so I wouldn't say anything embarrassing or awkward." Ryuto admitted.

The two once again stared at each other, no words were spoken. All that was heard was the wind blowing.

"To be completely honest, I've had similar feelings for you as well." she said nervously. "How far back?" Ryuto asked. "That day on the bus as well." she answered. "That far back." Ryuto said.

The two were once again silent. Everything happened so fast Ryuto still could not get past the fact that he admitted something he wanted to keep to himself. He then acted on impulse he grabbed her hand and the two interlocked their hands. He then leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. When he pulled back she had a face of surprise, yet it was not all that surprised.

"Want to give this-us-a try?" Ryuto asked hesitantly. "Yes." she said hugging him.

The two spent a few more minutes on the balcony before they decided to head to sleep, it was getting late. Ryuto walked into his room with a smile even with his smile he thinking to himself if he acted a bit too fast. He then started to think about what the rest of the team would think about the relationship. Ryuto waved the thoughts out of his head deciding to leave those problems for tomorrow.

The week passed and the coach's dad continued to over see their training. It was usually the same routine everyday; the team would go play cops and robbers in the mountain and the losers would do double the training. The trainings changed everyday, one day would be strength, another was stamina, and others were individual. Whenever a practice ended Ryuto would stay behind and do solo training with Riko watching him. His training included perfecting the crossover he adapted form Aomine and another would be getting used to the Zone. _Entering it is slowly becoming easier. But I thought it was harder to enter it a second time_ Ryuto thought to himself. He then positioned himself and drove towards the basket, proceeded by a dunk.

"You seem to be getting faster." Riko said handing Ryuto a towel. "It's not speed I'm working on, it's ball handling." Ryuto corrected while drying off the sweat. "Is it to perfect the crossover you copied from Aomine?" Riko asked. "I didn't copy it, I'm just adapting it for it to suit me. But yes that's the reason." Ryuto explained. "Yeah sure adapted. Anyways, did you figure out a way to use the Zone with the team?" Riko asked. "Sort of, but I need a game where I'm going to be in the Zone to test it." Ryuto answered. "Well our first game is against Tōō, it might be a good idea to use it there." Riko suggested. "I'm defiantly going to use it then." Ryuto said.

He then walked over to his bag and took off his sweaty shirt for a dry one and headed to the showers. The next day was the same as usual cops and robbers followed by either stamina or individual training. While the team was out in the mountain Riko and her father, Kagetora, were discussing the individual training. Kagetora said that the first-years, minus Kuroko, Ryuto, and Kagami, would not be able to create special moves. He continued saying that most of the second years could. He said that Kiyoshi had his own style, Hyūga and Izuki had found what they were looking for, while Koga, Tsuchida, and Mitobe would figure something out eventually. Riko then asked about Kuroko, with Kagetora responding that he could not find a way to help him. Kagetora then mentioned that he had given Kuroko advice, he told him that he was about to hit a wall soon.

"Finally, what about Ryuto?" Riko asked. "Well other than what I told him the day this all started, there's not much I can do for him. I feel that he's scared of his own strength which is why he holds back. I told him that thats a mental barrier, he just needs to break it." Kagetora explained. "That's what I told him." Riko said silently.

The training continued until the days before Winter Cup. During Ryuto's solo practice he fully master his new crossover and finding and answer to how to use the Zone. On the day of the start of the tournament, Ryuto woke up early. He put on his uniform and headed to meet up with his team. He had seen Satsuki that morning preparing as well, but they said nothing to each other; they were opponents until after their game. As Ryuto walked to meet up with his team he thought about everything that had happened leading up to this day. Training on the beach, the practice games and the preliminary tournament. The games during the championship league, both taught him something. Shutoku taught him how much stronger he had gotten, while Kirisaki Dai Ichi taught him how much his team cared for each other. When he met up with the team before the opening ceremony Kagami had still not arrived. Ryuto began to wonder where he was, he then started to think he would arrive fashionably late. After the opening ceremony, Kagami had yet to arrive and everyone was beginning to get worried. The coach began to yell out in frustration that Kagami was not here, with Fukuda explain that he forgot about the time difference. Ryuto walked over to the coach and placed his hand on her shoulder which seemed to clam her down. Then Kuroko said that he had to step out, which caused the coach regain her anger. Kuroko clarified that he was summoned. He then said that Akashi called him, everyone gasped in surprise. While Ryuto tightened the grip on his fist. The coach allowed him to got and told him to return before the match.

"I'm going with you. I need to talk to Seijūrō." Ryuto said. "Fine just be back before the game." the coach said.

As the two walked towards the meeting, Ryuto stayed silent he knew what he wanted to say, but had trouble forming the right words. He looked towards Kuroko who seemed to have his usual calm expression, but Ryuto could see he had all sort of emotions running through him. As they arrived He could see all the Generation of Miracles gathered. Aomine Daiki, Kise Ryota, Midorima Shintaro, and a purple haired person Ryuto did not recognize.

"Do you really need a babysitter, Tetsu?" Aomine asked referring to Ryuto to. "You have Sacchin Minechine." the purple haired boy responded while eating a chocolate bar. "She's got nothing to do with this." Aomine responded.

Seeing all of the Generation of Miracles together brought about a small amount of fear to Ryuto, but he managed to shake it off. He walked over to the purple haired boy, since he had not met him yet.

"I don't believe we've met. I'm Ryuto Rishihara." Ryuto greeted. "Ah so your the one Murochin has been talking about." the purple haired boy responded. "Who's Murochin?" Ryuto asked. "I think he's referring to one of Kagami's friends, Himuro Tatsuya. I'm sure you know him." Kuroko explained.

Ryuto's eye's widened. Himuro being in Japan was something he did not know about. He was going to have a talk with Kagami whenever he arrived. Everyone seemed to be on edge since Seijūrō had not arrived yet. The purple haired boy was having trouble opening a bag of chips while Kise was getting messages from fangirls. Ryuto sighed prodigies were strange people.

"I apologize for keeping you all waiting." a voice said.

Everyone turned to see a boy with bright red hair and one red colored eye and another yellow-orange, at the to of the steps. As he saw him Ryuto gritted his teeth in frustration. He then proceeded to call everyone there by their first names, except for Ryuto. _The bastard is going to ignore me. Well on the bright side I know the purple guy's name now_ Ryuto thought.

"However, there's someone here who doesn't belong." Seijūro said referring to Ryuto. "Now you notice me, Seijūro." Ryuto said tightening the grip on his fist. "I always knew you were here but you have no business being among us." Seijūrō said. "Show some respect to him, call him by his family name." Midorima said. "I've always called him by his first name. After all we are family." Ryuto said.

The ones gathered there let out a surprised gasp, they were not expecting what Ryuto had said.

"Even so. You are not one of us." Seijūro said. "Not one of you? Last time I checked I earned my right to stand next to them. And I wouldn't look so high and mighty, since I've beaten you before." Ryuto said.

"Akashi lost…" the ones gathered said in disbelief.

"Those games never counted. You should know that." Seijūrō said. "You still don't belong. I wish to only speak to my former teammates. I'll say my words to you later. Can you please leave?" Seijūgō continued.

Ryuto gritted his teeth in frustration, he was about to lash out, when he felt a hand placed on his shoulder. He looked back to see Kagami with a smug smile.

"Your're no fun, excluding us." Kagami said. "I'm back, we'll talk later." Kagami said.

He then walked over to be the center of attention and called out Akashi.

"Glad to meet you." Kagami greeted.

Akashi stared at him for a moment. He then walked down the steps and asked Midorima for his scissors, claiming that he wanted to cut his hair. He then asked if the person standing before him was the Kagami he was told about. Ryuto's eye's widened, he could feel the cold radiating off of his cousin. Everything slowed down for Ryuto, as Akashi lifted up his hand Ryuto darted at blinding speed and stopped him, by grabbing Akashi's wrist, from attempting to stab Kagami. Akashi stared into Ryuto's eyes and saw a spark of grey that quickly faded. He then smiled and lowered his hand.

"Fast as always I see." Seijūrō said smiling. "I'm a lot faster than you might think." Ryuto said letting go of his arm.

He then began to talk about his philosophy in victory saying that he had never lost before. As he said that he was also cutting his hair removing the hair that was blocking his forehead. Ryuto gritted his teeth in frustration, what he had just said irritated him beyond belief. Seijūrō then turned to leave saying that he only gathered them to say hello. An annoyed Aomine called out trying to argue, Akashi then said that all he wanted to do was confirm something and that looking at their faces they had not forgotten the promise they had made. Ryuto was once again frustrated, he took in a deep breath trying to calm down.

"Seijūrō… Wait a moment." Ryuto said.

Seijūrō stopped waking and turned to him.

"Yes?" he asked calmly.

"I will beat you. With the new abilities I've gained and the bonds I've forged." Ryuto said determined. "Get past Daiki first, then you can threaten me." Seijūrō responded as he walked away.

"You heard him, can you get past me Ryu?" Aomine asked with a smile. "Better not blink, or I just might pass you." Ryuto said determined.

On their way back to the locker room, all Ryuto could think about was Seijūrō. _He really tried to stab Taiga. I know he has good reflexes, but either way, glad I stopped him_ Ryuto thought to himself. As they continued to walk both Kagami and Kuroko were eyeing Ryuto, they were both curious about the relationship he had with Akashi and how he managed to stop him from stabbing Kagami before he even lifted his arm.

"You two have questions right?" Ryuto asked not facing them. "That would be putting it simply." Kuroko said. "I said I would explain it, but later. We have a game to focus on right now." Ryuto said.

As they entered the locker room before the game, everyone sighed in relief that Kagami had arrived and that Kuroko and Ryuto had not taken too long. Riko asked Ryuto how the meeting went, but Ryuto responded that he did not want to talk about it at the moment. Eventually the team headed towards the court with Kuroko, Ryuto, and Kagami left in the locker room. Kuroko said to Kagami that it was time for them to leave. Kagami responded that he was not focused on Akashi, but on Aomine, and he got up to head to the court. Ryuto smiled he was going to win today and show Aomine what it meant to lose. As the team entered the court they were met with a roar of applause form the crowd. Ryuto looked around his team they seemed overwhelmed by the amount of people watching. True be told so was Ryuto, he was not used to being watched by some many people. Furihata then asked if all these people were here to see them. With Hyūga saying no and Kiyoshi saying that the crowd was there to see the opponents. As if one cue Tōō entered and they were meat with louder praise than for Seirin. Ryuto looked straight towards Aomine, who's expression was of boredom or focused he was not really sure. The starters sat on the bench, which included: Hyūga, Izuki, Kuroko, Kagami, and Ryuto. Knowing Ryuto's feelings towards the game Kiyoshi told the coach to let him start. The team looked towards Tōō they knew the opponents were going to tough since they reached second place at Inter-High. Then the referee announced that both teams were to line up, Seirin stood up and everyone looked determined. As Ryuto walked onto the court he placed his hand on Riko's shoulder.

"I'm going full strength form the get go." Ryuto said to her. "You should tell that to them, not me." she responded. "I will." Ryuto said walking towards the team.

"I'm starting the game at full strength and then some." Ryuto said to the team. "Alright then, we trust you." Hyūga said. "Thanks." Ryuto responded. "What do you mean by 'and then some'?" Izuki asked. "You'll see." Ryuto said with a smile.

As they walked onto the court they were face to face with their opponents. Ryuto stood in front of Aomine and said hello to him. Aomine looked up and for a second seemed surprised, Ryuto really was determined. He smiled and said that he looks like he improved, to which Ryuto replied that he would win. Kagami and Kuroko then stood next to Ryuto and Kuroko told him that they were going to win. Aomine then smiled and said that he was looking forward to it. The two teams then lined up and bowed as they were introduced. As the two teams set up for the jump ball, Ryuto closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He felt his consciousness fall into the watery abyss again. He made it to the first door and opened it with ease and fell into another abyss that was harder to fall down in. On Tōō's bench Satsuki could not shake a feeling of uneasiness as she looked towards her cousin.

"You seem tense Momoi-san." Tōō's coach pointed out. "I can't shake this feeling of uneasiness as I look at Ryuto." Satsuki said. "Did you give the team the data on him?" he asked. "Yes, but it's very little." she answered. "Then what's bothering you?" he asked. "Ryu means dragon and I feel that the dragon is about to be unleashed." she said referring to Ryuo.

As the ball was thrown into the air, Ryuto had yet to open his eyes. Since Kiyoshi was not jumping the responsibility fell on Kagami. Kagami slapped it towards Izuki, but Imayoshi moved to cut it off. Ryuto then opened his eyes, and darted towards the ball. Before anyone could react, Ryuto darted down the court, not even Aomine could keep up. Ryuto then jumped up, not for a lay up, but for a dunk. Everyone had a surprised expression as Ryuto jumped up no one actually believed he was able to dunk. They were proven wrong when Ryuto jammed the ball into the basket. He hung on the rim for a few seconds and then landed. Everyone on the court was silent, minus the crowd which erupted in cheers. Everyone looked towards Ryuto and his intensity was felt through everyone. Around him was like the silhouette of a dragon.

"Aomine you said that the only person who could beat you was you." Ryuto said.

He then turned to face everyone and revealed grey lightning coming out of his eyes. Everyone was stunned, while Aomine smiled.

"I'm here to shatter that belief of yours." Ryuto said. "Bring it, Ryu." Aomine said with a smile.

 **AN: Here another chapter comes to a close. I hope you enjoyed. Now, for some clarifications: since I have had this chapter planned since I started writing, Ryuto and Riko were going to say their feelings for each other here(sorry if it was rushed, but I wanted it to be here). Also the meeting of the Generation of Miracles was also exactly how I wanted it to go. If you have anymore comments or concerns about things just PM me or write it in the reviews and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Next chapter will take some time due to personal issues, but I'll try to get it out as soon as I can. Anyways, like I said before, hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for the next part. Remember to review, follow, and/or favorite if you haven't already.**


	15. Chapter 15

***PLEASE READ***

 **AN: Finally chapter 15! Sorry this one took so long and I have reasons. The first is that this chapter was pretty hard to write the reasons for that I will explain at the end of the chapter. The second is school, I have had a lot of school work these past few weeks and that is a priority over this. Third reason is basically procrastination. This chapter is the longest I've written ever and you'll see why soon enough. Now that that's out of the way, hope you enjoy this chapter and remember, I do NOT own KnB I only own my character.**

Chapter 15

All Out

As Ryuto went up for a dunk everyone who was familiar with his style watched in awe. On Seirin's bench everyone was worried that it was going to be a repeat of the Shutoku game way back during Inter-High. On Tōō's bench everyone stared wide eyed as Ryuto jumped, while Satuski was wondering if he was really able to dunk. In the stands Shutoku was also surprised with Midorima having a stunned expression on his face and Takao was worried about his friend. Murasakibara and Himuro watched, Murasakibara yawned in boredom while Himuro watched with intrigue. With Kaijo, Kise's mouth hung open in surprise while Kasamatsu smiled, he knew Ryuto would find a way. All Seijūrō did was smile as he watched him jam the ball in. Everyone was once again surprised when Ryuto turned revealing his Zone. All the members of the Generation of Miracles had a different expressions. Aomine smiled in delight at Ryuto going full strength, Kuroko was surprised at Ryuto's sudden burst of strength, Murasakibara seemed less bored than he was before since he stopped eating, Midorima scoffed, Kise also had a surprised look on his face, and Seijūrō was still smiling with delight. There was a commotion on Seirin's bench everyone was surprised and was clamoring in excitement. They were all asking how he was able to unlock such an ability.

"How did he do it?" Kiyoshi asked. "To be honest I don't have a clue. He told me he felt flickers during two games at Inter-High, before he got injured. But I don't know if he's had it before." the coach explained. "Is this the result of all his solo training?" Kiyoshi asked. "Yes and no." the coach answered.

"Momoi-san this was not in the data!" Tōō's coach said in frustration as well as surprise. "I did say we had little information on him. I had no idea he could go into the Zone. No one can stop Ryu now." Satsuki said.

"So, my prediction was correct." Midorima said adjusting his glasses. "What are you talking about Shin-chan?" Takao asked. "Ryuto can use the Zone. I noticed he was holding something back during our game in the Championship League. Apparently it was this." Midorima said. "Jealous Shin-chan?" Takao asked with a sly smile. "Why would I be, idiot? I would be more concerned on how Tōō can handle someone who is going 100%." Midorima said.

"Zone?!" Kise blurted out. "Yeah. The moment I saw him do that pass to Hyūga way back during the Inter-High preliminaries I knew he found something." Kasamatsu explained. "But I thought the Zone wasn't real." Kise said. "Oh it's very real. You achieve that state when you've given 100% in something and from the looks of it Ryuto is used to this type of level." Kasamatsu explained. "Will Aominecchi be able to beat Ryutocchi, I wonder?" Kise said turing back to the game.

"So Ryuto you've made it this far." Himuro said. "Why do you care so much about him Muro-chin?" Murasakibara asked. "Because, he's someone I've never beaten before." Himuro said.

"I'm impressed Ryuto. You've made it this far to be able to unlock the Zone, amazing." Seijūrō said smiling.

Everyone playing in the game was left stunned. They all had their mouths gaped no one believed what Ryuto had done. Ryuto jogged past Aomine who still had a wide grin on his face. He passed his teammates who were motionless. When Ryuto set up for defense Seirin had yet to move.

"Guys get your heads out of the clouds! We're on defense!" Ryuto yelled.

Everyone snapped back to reality and set themselves up for defense. Tōō brought down the ball with Imayoshi being cautious and guarding the ball. _This guy, he's in the Zone and he seems like he's used to it. How is that?_ Imayoshi thought. Imayoshi then sent a pass towards Sakurai, but Ryuto sprinted and cut it off. _What?! I made sure not to take my eye's off him_ Imayoshi thought surprised. As Ryuto darted down the court Aomine tried to catch up, but to no avail. Ryuto once again jammed the ball for a dunk. Ryuto returned to defense and was given several high fives from his teammates. Ryuto then went over to Kagami and patted him on the shoulder.

"Taiga next time I steal the ball stay on my tail." Ryuto said. "How?! You're going to damn fast!" Kagami exclaimed. "Just trust me." Ryuto said as he set up for defense.

Imayoshi once again passed, this time to Wakamatsu, but Ryuto was there to steal it. He once again darted down the court. As he predicted Aomine managed to pass him.

"What's wrong Ryu? Gotten slow?" Aomine said with a smile.

Ryuto then went up for a dunk with Aomine going up to block him. Ryuto then smiled and turned the ball backwards and passed it to Kagami, who jumped and caught the ball. As Kagami climbed higher he jammed the ball in for a dunk. As he landed Kagami patted Ryuto on the back and jogged back to defense. Ryuto turned to face Aomine, who had a surprised look on his face.

"Not gotten slower, just using my strength to help my team." Ryuto said as he jogged back to defense.

As he set himself up, Ryuto called over Hyūga.

"You're next captain." Ryuto said. "Next? For what?" Hyūga asked. "Just trust me." Ryuto said.

Tōō's formation moved around and now they had isolated Ryuto and Aomine, but they did not pass to Aomine, Imayoshi passed it to Sakurai who scored a three. Ryuto silently cursed as the team set up for offense. On offense Izuki passed the ball to Ryuto, who started to dribble the ball. Aomine, who was guarding him watched him carefully. Ryuto smiled and stopped dribbling. He moved the ball to his side and held it out. Aomine raised and eyebrow, he had no idea what Ryuto was thinking. He then moved to steal the ball, but before he could do it the ball disappeared from Ryuto's hands. The ball reappeared soaring over Ryuto and going into the basket. Ryuto moved over to reveal Hyūga standing behind him.

"Nice shot captain." Ryuto said.

Hyūga nodded and went to defense.

"Izuki!" Ryuto called out. "Yeah?" Izuki asked. "You're next." Ryuto said.

Izuki smiled and nodded. After using the same formation as before, Tōō had managed to score another point, making it a 4 point game. As Seirin set up for offense, Izuki passed the ball to Ryuto and moved to the corner of the court. Ryuto started to do crossovers, with Aomine carefully watching him. Ryuto then crossed over again, this time disappearing from Aomine sight. He looked back to him reappear and passing to Izuki, who scored a lay up expanding Seirin's lead. Izuki high fived Ryuto as they set up for offense.

"I'm surprised he's not using Kuroko." Kiyoshi said on the bench. "Ryuto-kun's conserving him. From what he told me he wants all the attention on him for now." the coach explained. "That's smart." Kiyoshi said. "He's without a doubt one of the smartest." the coach said with a smile.

As the quarter continued Tōō was barely managing to score points. With Ryuto's extreme presence on the court, Tōō was too scared to try anything with Aomine. On defense Ryuto began to cover in a one man zone defense. Whenever Tōō would try to pass to Aomine, Ryuto was there to cut it off. On Seirin's offensive possession Ryuto had the ball at the three point line, with Aomine guarding him.

"You might recognize this next move." Ryuto said.

Aomine got ready for whatever it was Ryuto had planned. Ryuto slowed down his dribble and crossed over to one side, but his body went another. Aomine was surprised, but nonetheless recovered quick enough to follow Ryuto instead of the ball. Ryuto then smiled. He pivoted on his left foot, grabbed the ball and drove in the opposite direction of how Aomine does it. He drove to the basket, but he came to a stop mid-drive and passed to Hyūga, who scored a three.

"It's a bit different though." Ryuto said to Aomine as he passed him.

On defense Aomine got the ball. Ryuto smiled by the look on his face he wanted to score on him. Aomine began to do irregular movements, he managed to break away from Ryuto with a quick crossover. As he drove Kagami moved in to stop him, but Aomine stopped and jumped backwards. When he was parallel to the ground, he released the ball. Ryuto jumped and blocked the shot. He then grabbed it and darted down the court to score another point for Seirin. Ryuto looked over to the score board, there was thirty second left in the first quarter and he was still in the Zone, but he felt it fading. _Better make use of the strength I have left_ Ryuto thought. He then walked over to Kuroko and Kagami.

"Alright Kuroko, now you can let loose." Ryuto said. "Should I use it now?" Kuroko asked. "Yep let loose. Taiga you know what to do." Ryuto said.

Kagami nodded and the team set up for defense. Tōō scored on offense with another three from Sakurai, but the score was still in Seirin's favor by a large margin. As Seirin inbounded, Izuki passed it to Ryuto. As he turned he called out to Aomine. Aomine turned as saw Ryuto passing to Kuroko. Kuroko set himself up in a position similar to Ignite Pass. The air around Kuroko seemed to change as he prepared to pass. Aomine prepared himself to receive the pass, when Kuroko sent a blazing bullet down the court, leaving a stunned Aomine in its wake. Kagami, who was waiting under the basket, received it and dunked the ball to close out the quarter. The stands cheered in approval at the game they were witnessing, none of them expected to see Seirin overwhelm Tōō. Ryuto then closed his eyes and jerked his head side to side, he was exiting the Zone. As he walked over to his bench he felt a surge of pain coming from his ankle. Ryuto winced and continued to walked, he did not bother to face Aomine.

"That was great Ryuto!" Koga exclaimed as Ryuto sat down. "Thanks. Hey Furihata, pass me an ice pack." Ryuto said.

As he got one he took off the brace he had on his ankle also his shoe and put the ice pack on his ankle. Everyone was silent, no one said anything. They were fearing the worst since Ryuto seemed to be out of commission.

"Guys I'll be alright." Ryuto said. "You sure?" Izuki asked. "Yeah, I knew the risks of using the Zone for a whole quarter; my ankle being one of them." Ryuto explained. "How long are you going to be out?" Hyūga asked. "Well until after halftime, I need time to recover after using the Zone. But if I want to use the Zone again, I'll have to wait until the final minutes of the game." Ryuto admitted. "That long." Kagami said somberly. "Guy's relax. We're winning 30-11, use that as motivation to keep playing hard. I might not be out there to shut Aomine down, but I know you guys can do it." Ryuto said. "Ryuto-kun's right. Lets continue to play, Ryuto-kun will get on the court soon and when he does we'll still have the lead." Kuroko said. "Leave it to us Ryuto." Kiyoshi said. "And I'll take care of Aomine." Kagami said. "Go get them." Ryuto said.

On Tōō bench it was quiet, they were not expecting someone in the Zone. Even Satsuki admitted that she did not have a counter against him. Then Aomine spoke up.

"Give me all the balls and leave Ryu to me." he said. "I don't think that number 14 is going to be a problem." Wakamatsu said looking towards Seirin's bench.

Tōō looked over to see Ryuto not with the ones entering for the second quarter. Aomine growled in frustration as he walked onto the court and stormed over to Seirin. He then calmed himself down as he faced Ryuto.

"What's wrong Ryu, tired already?" Aomine taunted. "Taunt all you want, when I get back in I'll beat you again." Ryuto said. "As I told you before and injured player had no right to speak about winning." Aomine said turning away. "Who said I was injured?" Ryuto said. "Shame I wanted to play against your Zone a bit more." Aomine said walking away.

Ryuto gritted his teeth, Aomine's arrogance knew no bounds. He then calmed himself down and turned to everyone, he listened as the coach explained the game plan now that Ryuto was out. As the team walked onto the court, Ryuto told them to give everything they have. With Hyūga responding that that was exactly what they were going to do.

"You caught them off guard pretty well." Riko said as she sat down next to him. "That was the idea." Ryuto said. "Now all the other Generation of Miracles and everyone else know you have the Zone." Riko said. "Yeah, I know. I just hope Seijūrō realized how much I've trained to get to this point." Ryuto said. "I'm sure he does." Riko said clasping his hand, but hiding it so no one saw it.

On the stands the other Generation of Miracles began to wonder why Ryuto had not returned to the game.

"They're benching Ryu-chan?!" Takao questioned. "No doubt the Zone tired him out. He might be sitting out at least until the third quarter. It's also highly doubtful that he will be able to access the Zone again, it's harder to get into it a second time." Midorima explained.

"They benched Ryutocchi?!" Kise asked. "Most likely to rest him after using the Zone. I think I saw him gripping his ankle as he sat down." Kasamatsu said. "Just how strong is the Zone?" Kise wondered. "With Ryuto, it might not have limits." Kasamatsu commented.

"So Ryuto is out. Most likely exposure to the Zone." Himuro said.

Muraskibara meanwhile seemed indifferent to the whole situation as he kept eating snacks.

"I see you have gained some strength Ryuto. It won't help you against me, however." Seijūrō said amused.

The two teams entered for the start of the second quarter. Kagami turned to face Aomine and Kuroko did the same. The three stared at each other for moment, before exchanging words.

"I wonder how you'll win now that Ryu's out." Aomine taunted. "We'll shut you down until he comes back in." Kuroko said. "We'll see about that Tetsu." Aomine said as he turned away from them.

The whistle blew for the second quarter to start and Tōō were the one's to start. Imayoshi received the inbound, he then passed it to Susa who shot and made a point for Tōō to start the first quarter. _They're passing high so Kuroko can't steal it. Imayoshi is really smart_ Ryuto thought. Izuki tired to get a pass off, but the ball was cut off by Imayoshi. Sakurai then recovered it and set up for a shot. He launched the ball towards the basket, but instead of going in it was an alley-oop to Aomine; who proceeded to dunk. Ryuto gritted his teeth, it would not take long before Tōō caught up. In only a few seconds their lead was already cut to half. When Ryuto removed the icepack from his ankle a wave of pain would ride over him. _Damn it! Who knew the Zone could take so much out of you_ Ryuto thought. As the second quarter continued Tōō managed to tie the game at the halfway point. During one of Seirin's offensive possessions, the ball was passed to Kagami and Aomine was right in front of him waiting for him to make a move. A few seconds passed and Kagami passes it back to Izuki. Ryuto smiled at what he saw, while the crowd seemed disappointed. _Looks like you've gotten smarter Taiga_ Ryuto thought. After Kagami's decision to return the ball, the coach called a timeout. On the bench everyone voiced their opinion on Kagami's decision.

"Normally you would have used brute force, but nice job analyzing the situation." Ryuto commented. "Learned it from you." Kagami said with a smile.

Izuki then said that using the inside was starting to become difficult. With Kiyoshi saying that Kuroko's new pass took it's toll and using it against Aomine repeatedly would be bad. Everyone remained silent and pondered what to do. Then a crack was heard and Hyuga spoke up.

"If that's the case, then I'll start by scoring on the outside more. Izuki give me the ball" Hyuga said.

Everyone question the decision, but Ryuto knew it was the best course of action. Hyuga explained saying that with him shooting from the outside, it would open up the inside. The coach then agreed with Hyuga's decision and the team waked back onto the court.

"Look's like I'm no longer the observant one." Ryuto said. "Looks like it. How are you feeling?" Riko asked. "I tried taking off the ice pack early, but the pain roared. It might take longer for me to get back in." Ryuto explained. "During halftime, go to the nurse. Maybe they can help you out." Riko suggested. "I was thinking that myself actually." Ryuto said as he sat back down.

Back on the court a three point shootout had started between Hyuga and Sakurai; with Hyuga revealing his Barrier Jumper. Revealing it put Sakurai in a very competitive attitude and then the two would not miss a shot. The three point shootout continued with only a few seconds left and with Tōō taking the lead 40-43. As the crowd began to see that Tōō would most likely take the second quarter, Kuroko yelled out that they still had a chance. Kiyoshi inbounded the ball and sent it straight to Kuroko. When he received it, Susa was there to guard him. With a quick look behind him, Kuroko ducked past the defender and passed him. Kuroko then stopped his drive and passed it towards Hyuga who shot a three and made it ending the second quarter and the first half with a tie. Ryuto looked towards Susa and saw him talk to Imayoshi, after a short conversation Imayoshi smiled. To Ryuto this was not a good sign. As the team headed for the locker room, Ryuto excused himself in order to go see the doctor that was stationed. Riko squeezed his hand before letting go, as if saying: "bring good news." Ryuto walked down the corridors of the stadium until he managed to find the nurse's office. He opened the door slightly and knocked on it. A few seconds later a male voice told him to enter. When Ryuto entered he found himself face to face with Mr. Igaku.

"Mr. Igaku?" Ryuto asked in surprise. "Hello, Ryuto. I thought you might be stopping by." Mr. Igaku said with a smile. "Please have a seat." Mr. Igaku said motioning to a chair.

Ryuto took a deep breath and sat down on the chair. Mr. Igaku then came by on his own chair and brought another with him.

"Put your leg up on the empty chair." Mr. Igaku ordered.

Ryuto did as he was told and put his leg on the chair. Mr. Igaku then sighed and pointed at Ryuto's foot. Noticing what he was trying to say, Ryuto took off his sneaker and placed back his foot on the chair.

"Sorry." Ryuto said. "It's alright," Mr. Igaku said, "now tell me, how was your first full experience in the Zone?" "It was more than I ever would have anticipated-" Ryuto began to say before being cut off. "That was my exact reaction when I first used it." Mr. Igaku said happily. "I was not finished, anticipated when it came to pain. Dude my ankle is killing me!" Ryuto exclaimed. "First off: don't call me dude," Mr. Igaku said seriously, "second: your ankle is adjusting to the Zone. After coming off an injury, I'm surprised your ankle isn't in bad shape. On the contrary it's just fine." "Wait, seriously?" Ryuto question. "Completely serious." Mr. Igaku said. "How does the pain feel at this moment?" Mr. Igaku asked examining Ryuto's ankle. "It's slowly fading, but still there." Ryuto said. "From the looks of it and your description, by the end of the fourth quarter you can play again." Mr. Igaku explained. "Thanks, Mr. Igaku." No problem." Mr. Igaku said.

Ryuto then removed his leg from the other chair. He put back on his sneaker and stood up. For a moment there was pain, but it quickly faded. Ryuto then let out a sigh of relief and walked towards the exit. Mr. Igaku was there waiting for him holding the door open.

"By the way if you ever need any advice or practice about the Zone, feel free to contact me." Mr. Igaku said handing him a card with a phone number on it. "I'll keep it in mind, but my current advisor is pretty good. I think you know him, Kagetora Aida." Ryuto said. "Oh, yes. I know him very well." Mr. Igaku said. "Good luck." he continued. "Thanks again." Ryuto said heading back towards the teams locker room.

When he arrived at the locker room the team was leaving it and heading back towards the court for the second half. All of them asked him when he would return, with Ryuto answering that during the fourth quarter he would be good to go. The team seemed to sigh in relief as they walked onto the court. On the way to the court, the coach explained the strategy to Ryuto. Ryuto agreed with it for the most part, but the part where Kuroko was going to start with his drive made Ryuto feel uneasy. As the team sat down on the bench, Ryuto could see Aomine eyeing him. Ryuto wondered what Tōō had talked about during halftime.

 _With Tōō during halftime_

Tōō locker room was slightly silent, there were hushed voiced conversations between some while most were silent. Aomine sat alone and was breathing heavily.

"I wonder if number 14 is going to go back in soon." Sakurai muttered fearfully. "I'm sure he will. He's defiantly a problem, especially with the Zone." Imayoshi said. "I could handle him." Wakamatsu boasted. "Leave Ryu to me. When he comes back in, I'll finally have someone to be able to go all out." Aomine said with a wild smile.

Everyone moved back a few steps, intimidated by Aomine's expression. While Satsuki seemed to have a worried expression on her face.

"There's also the blue-haired kid and his drive." Susa pointed out. "That's right. As long as we separate Kagami from Kuroko, we can stop it." Imayoshi said. "We'll leave that to you Aomine." Wakamatsu said. "As if," Aomine scoffed, "I'm not this teams errand boy. They couldn't pass me even if hell froze over. The only one who can beat me is me."

 _After halftime_

The starters walked onto the court with renewed confidence. Even if the game was tied up, they were confident they could win. Ryuto smiled at their determination. The quarter started with Seirin on the offensive. The ball was inbounded to Izuki, who sent it to Kuroko. Kuroko was then met face to face with Aomine. After a quick look back, Kuroko ducked under Aomine and passed him. Everyone on the bench cheered, but Ryuto knew something was off. Then Aomine spun around and revealed that he had his eyes closed. He then opened them and slapped the ball away from Kuroko. As Aomine drove down the court he left a stunned Kuroko in his wake. He then scored with a dunk. Aomine then stood in front of Kuroko and told him that no matter how hard he tried, he could never be something more than a shadow. Ryuto saw as Kuroko hung his head, he then moved to receive the inbound. By reading the look on his face Ryuto knew what was going to happen next, and so did the coach; she shot up and went to the table where the score is kept track of and called for a timeout. But before that could happen, Kuroko set up for his Ignite Pass Kai.

"Kuroko don't!" Ryuto yelled out.

Aomine then held out his hand and the pass hit it directly. Aomine then taunted Kuroko saying that the same move will not work on him twice. As he got the ball, he told Kuroko that beating him was a useless effort. Aomine then got past Kuroko with ease, Izuki tried to stop, but to no avail. Kagami then arrived to try stop him, but Aomine moved his body in an awkward angle and threw the ball at the basket scoring again. Ryuto gritted his teeth in frustration. He tried to stand up, but pain shot up from his ankle and he was forced to sit back down.

"What's wrong Ryu? What was all that talk about you beating me?" Aomine taunted. "I have nothing to say to someone who doesn't acknowledge others as their equals. Even if the difference is obvious." Ryuto replied.

Aomine then scoffed as he returned to defense. On the inbound Izuki drove down the court, calling for everyone to stay focused. He then passed to Hyuga, but it was cutoff by Wakamatsu; he drove down the court and scored. On Tōō next offensive possession, Sakurai and Hyuga were in a one-on-one and Hyuga managed to slap the ball away and allowing for the clock to stop. The referee then blew a whistle and said that Seirin had called a timeout. The one's on the court sat down on the bench. Kuroko had a towel over his head, he also hung it. The coach then said that he was going to be subbed out. Kuroko had a face that he wanted to argue, but nonetheless accepted it; he then returned to hanging his head. Ryuto could hear Kuroko muttering, but he could not make out what it was, but he inferred that he was curing at the fact that he could not get past Aomine. Kagami then placed his hand on Kuroko's head and told him not to worry. He continued saying that he will come back and that he should not give up. Ryuto smiled, knowing Kuroko would eventually bounce back. As the timeout ended the team entered the court, minus Kuroko, prepared to keep playing. Ryuto then sat down next to Kuroko and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"No need to worry. Taiga can handle it." Ryuto said. "Are you sure? So far you've been the only one who can shut Aomine-kun down." Kuroko said. "Dude stop being negative. Trust me, it won't help." Ryuto replied.

Kuroko remained silent.

"Remember when I told you I trained to beat someone on my own team?" Ryuto asked.

Kuroko nodded in response.

"Well before him, there was another. He was my senior. You could say he was a light and I was a shadow, but not in the same sense as you and Taiga." Ryuto explained. "What do you mean?" Kuroko asked. "I mean that he was the star player and I was the other good player and I supported him never in the spot light. He considered me an equal. I remember him telling me that one day I would be able to surpass him. I would become a light." Ryuto said.

Kuroko had a face of amazement as he heard Ryuto talk.

"What are you trying to say, Ryuto-kun?" Kuroko asked. "Never stop trying to outshine others. It's always a good drive to get better." Ryuto answered with a smile. "Now rest up. I want you to show Aomine just how strong you are. And once I get in there, I'm expecting something great to happen from you." Ryuto said. "Defiantly." Kuroko responded.

Ryuto smiled and patted Kuroko on the shoulder, his spirit seemed to be lifted. Ryuto turned his attention back to the game and this time Seirin started with the ball. Izuki drove down the court, he then passed to Kagami with Aomine waiting for him. Kagami held the ball for a few moments, then passed to Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi then faked a hand off to Izuki and scored a lay up. On Tōō's offense the ball was given to Aomine and Kagami set up to defend him. Aomine then slowed down his dribble. _Change of pace, his specialty_ Ryuto thought. Before Aomine could make a move Kagami went in to try to swipe the ball away. Aomine managed to do a behind the back crossover, narrowly avoiding the steal. Aomine then moved away and set up for a jump shot. Before he could release; however, Kagami jumped up and blocker his shot from behind. The coach stared at Kagami wide eyed, wondering if what she was seeing was Kagami's true strength.

"It is." Ryuto said as if reading her thoughts. "Is he-" she stared to say. "-in the Zone? No, he isn't. He's just going all out." Ryuto said with a smile.

As the Tōō reset for offense, Kagami once again was guarding Aomine. Aomine then began to so his irregular movements, he was able to shake away Kagami, but Kagami managed to keep up. Aomine then dribbled the ball hard against the court and made it go flying up. Wakamatsu jumped thinking he was alley-ooping it to him, but Aomine grabbed the ball again and shot from behind his back; scoing a point. On Seirin's offense, the ball was given to Kagami. Once again Kagami and Aomine were face to face. Koga went in to screen Aomine, Kagami tried to drive past, but Aomine moved away from the screen. Kagami then did a crossover and stood in front of Koga and took a shot; making it. On the bench Tsuchida wonder if Kagami was actually able to keep up with Aomine.

"For the most part yes." Ryuto answered. "What do you mean?" Tsuchida asked. "At this moment in time they're evenly matched. As the game continues; however, Aomine will only get better, while Kagami begins to deteriorate." Ryuto explained. "So it's Midorima all over again." Tsuchida said worried. "We'll just of to keep out fingers crossed." Ryuto said.

As the quarter continued, it was an all out battle between Kagami and Aomine. No one on the court dared to interfere, knowing that they were playing at a different intensity. _Normally this only happens with members of the Generation of Miracles, but with Kagami, it's unexpected. With Ryuto we were all taken back by Zone no one could properly react_ Imayoshi thought. _To think Kagami could keep up. I thought only Ryuto had that kind of strength_ Hyuga thought.

As the one-on-one continued, it went into one of Tōō's offensive possessions. Aomine and Kagami once again met face to face. Aomine then began to do his irregular dribble and got past Kagami. He then set up for his formless shot, but was blocked by Kagami; with the ball going out of bounds. Then a time-out was called by Tōō. The players sat down on the bench and all of them started to pant. Ryuto could looked over to Kuroko, who was talking to Kagami. Ryuto smiled, Kuroko found what he was looking for. The coach then made some adjustments, to compensate for the one-on-one Kagami and Aomine were having. After that the time-out had ended and the quarter resumed. Ryuto looked towards the clock, they were down by two and only five minutes remained in the quarter. Ryuto let out a sigh, things were not going to get easier. As the teams walked onto the court, Aomine had a smile on his face and Kuroko had returned to the game. Kuroko, Kagami, and Aomine's gazes met, they said nothing to each other. As Imayoshi inbounded the ball for Tōō, he noticed a shift in Seirin. He then passed to Aomine, while Kagami was ready to defend him. Aomine then drove past Kagami, faster than before. Kiyoshi tired to keep up, but was not going to be able to get to him in time. Then Kuroko appeared and blocked Aomine, drawing a charging foul. On Seirin's offense Izuki drove down the court, he then passed to no one, but Kuroko appeared and redirected the pass to Kagami. Kagami then passed to Kiyoshi, who sent it back to Kuroko. Kuroko then used Ignite Pass to send it to Hyuga, who scored a three. On Tōō offense, Imayoshi took his time. He dribbled slowly for a few moments, before setting up for a shot. Izuki reacted by jumping, but the shot was a fake. Imayoshi then passed to Wakamatsu, who scored a lay-up. As Izuki brought down the ball, Ryuto quickly noticced a change in Tōō defense, Imayoshi was guarding Kuroko. Ryuto gritted his teeth and looked towards Satsuki. She had a solemn expression on her face, but Ryuto knew she had planned that.

 _Dammit Satsuki, always one step ahead_ Ryuto thought.

As Ryuto returned to watch the game, everyone seemed frozen; nobody made a move. Izuki then passed towards Kuroko, but it was cut off by Imayoshi. He then drove down the court with Izuki close behind. He then suddenly stopped and shot a three, making it. On the next offensive for Seirin, Izuki passed the ball to Hyuga. He stepped back for his Barrier Jumper, but Sakurai managed to catch up and stop him from shooting. Hyugan then passed to Kiyoshi, who also could not get past the defense, also passed the ball towards Kagami. Kuroko tried to assist, but Imayoshi was there to guard him. Kagami then tried to drive, but stopped for a moment and the ball was knocked away by Aomine in that moment of hesitation. Aomine then drove down the court, but was stopped by Hyuga. Aomine simply ducked past him, not giving it a second thought. Kagami managed to recover and was once again face to face with Aomine. Aomine then jumped up, and so did Kagami. Kagami went for a block, but Aomine ducked under him and proceeded to dunk.

Time continued to pass and the score gap only widened. With less than a minute left the score was 70-56, Tōō's favor. Imayoshi had stopped guarding Kuroko and went back to Izuki. Ryuto looked towards Kuroko, he hung his head; as if defeated. Ryuto then noticed that everyone could see him; Kuroko's misdirection had run out. Ryuto gritted his teeth and silently cursed. He once again looked over towards Satsuki, who still had a solemn look. He tired to stand, but pain shot form his ankle. _Dammit! How come it only hurts when I want to go back into the game?_ Ryuto questioned. In the stands Kasamatsu said that now that Kuroko's misdirection had run out, Seirin had nothing left.

"But what about Ryutocchi?" Kise asked. "Ryuto's benched right now, and form the looks of it he probably won't be entering anytime soon." Kasamatsu said.

Imayoshi then began to taunt saying that if they had more time to prepare they could have made it a lot farther. Ryuto clenched his fist, he looked at everyone and they all seemed defeated. Kuroko then started to say that there was no next time, that they were going to win now. Everyone seemed to have had rejuvenated spirit after what Kuroko had said. Ryuto smiled, glad he was not the only one who could give pep talks mid-game. With their spirits reinvigorated, Imayoshi pointed out that Kuroko's misdirection had run out, so they had no way of using him. Izuki then responded with that that was the plan all along. He then did a crossover and seemed to disappear form in front of Imayoshi. He then reappeared behind him and shot. Izuki scored and Tōō was left wondering what had just happened. Ryuto smiled; _So this is Misdirection Overflow, now I get it. Not bad Kuroko_ Ryuto thought. On Tōō's inbound Imayoshi tired to pass to Sakurai, but it was cut off by Hyuga. As Hyuga drove down the court, Sakurai managed to get in front of him; however, Hyuga seemed to disappear from in front of him. Hyuga then scored a lay up, leading to back to back points. Ryuto looked towards the clocked there were 45 seconds left and the score was slowly catching up. As the final second continued the score managed to reach a single digit, thanks to Kuroko's Overflow. With 5 seconds left Imayoshi said that Seirin should not get ahead of themselves, and shot from practically at half court. The went into the net as the buzzer rang. Seirin was left speechless as they returned to the bench. When they sat down, Ryuto could see how exhausted they were. Ryuto gritted his teeth, he knew this game was not going to be easy, but not being able to do anything about it was what angered him the most. Ryuto noticed how Kiyoshi seemed to be distracted, he was about to say something when Hyuga told him to calm down. He continued saying that they had to play the last ten minutes to win. As they walked onto the court Hyuga placed his hand on Ryuto's shoulder.

"We've bought you enough time. Now get your head out of your ass and get back in." Hyuga said. "Yes captain." Ryuto said with a smile.

The fourth quarter started and Seirin had the ball. Hyuga declared that they were going to start by getting back the three Imayoshi shot. Izuki passed to Hyuga, he then did his Barrier Jumper with the help of Kuroko, and scored the first points of the quarter. On Tōō's offense the ball was given to Aomine and Kagami was there waiting. Ryuto looked towards the two and saw that Aomine had a smile on his face, just like the one he had when the two of them first played.

 _Flashback_

At the start of their game, Aomine held the ball up high and a cocky smile was across his face. Ryuto smiled as well, even if it was the first time the two had played against each other, Ryuto knew Aomine's strength. Aomine then ducked past him. Ryuto managed to catch up, but Aomine stopped and shot a fade away. Ryuto jumped and managed to swat the ball down. The two caught their breaths for a moment before returning to their game.

"No one's been able to do that before." Aomine pointed out. "I'm j-j-just t-t-tall for my a-a-age." Ryuto struggled to say.

The boys laughed as they returned to their game.

 _End flashback_

Ryuto smiled, he then stood up and felt no pain from his ankle. _Soon, Aomine. Very soon_ Ryuto thought. After Hyuga's shot, Tōō was on offense and they scored almost immediately with Aomine scoring a dunk. On Seirin's offense Hyuga scored another three, the gab kept closing little by little. Tōō was on the offensive and Sakurai forced a three. Knowing he could not make it, he passed to Aomine. Aomine was able to break away quickly from Kagami. Then he was met by Kiyoshi. Aomine set up for a shot, but did not jump; while Kiyoshi did. Aomine then jumped up and collied with Kiyoshi, but still managed to score. Aomine then took his free throw and effortlessly made it, putting Tōō ahead by ten. As time passed both teams would score point after point. Ryuto looked towards the timer, and saw that there was just under seven minutes remaining; and the score was not getting any smaller. The when Aomine received the ball on Tōō's offense, he surprised to find Aomine being triple teamed by Kuroko, Kagami, and Kiyoshi. After getting past Kagami with little effort, Kiyoshi went to defend. Aomine jumped to take a shot, but instead of jumping up he jumped sideways. Kagami then jumped to block his shot, but Aomine dropped down and threw the ball at the basket; while still in the air. Ryuto smiled, he knew Kuroko's plan. Then the ball bounced off the rim and towards the out of bounds. _So you drew his attention away from the hoop. Not bad Kuroko, not bad at all_ Ryuto thought. On the inbound, Seirin managed to score, dropping the lead to six points. As Tōō went for the inbound, Hyuga yelled for them defend full court. Wakamatsu tried to pass to Susa, but the ball was stole by Kuroko. He then sent the ball towards Hyuga. Hyuga set up for a shot and Sakurai went to block him. However, Sakurai ended up crashing into him; drawing a foul. The foul was behind the three point line, so Hyuga would shoot three free throws. Instead of looking towards Hyuga, Ryuto stared at Aomine. He stood motionless next to Kuroko, he then smiled. Ryuto knew what that meant. He then took off the long sleeved shirt he had on and tapped the coach's shoulder.

"Put me in." Ryuto said urgently.

The coach nodded and stood up. Ryuto stood up as well, following her. Ryuto watched as Aomine received the ball, he then maneuvered past everyone with ease. Ryuto had a shocked look on his face.

"He's achieved it." Ryuto said aloud.

The buzzer then rung, signaling a player switch. Everyone looked towards the sideline and saw Ryuto entering. He entered for Kiyoshi, who was at his limit.

"I'll finish this." Ryuto said.

Kiyoshi nodded and went to sit down. Seirin was silent when Ryuto joined them, they knew who to leave the rest of the game to.

"You did well Taiga, but leave this to me." Ryuto said.

Kagami nodded in response. On the inbound, the ball was given to Ryuto immediately. He calmly dribbled the ball down to the three point line; where Aomine was waiting. Ryuto could see the lightning flicker in his eyes. His faced then morphed into a wild smile.

"I have the same strength as you do, Ryu. What chance do you have to beat me, since you wasted yours?" Aomine taunted.

Ryuto said nothing. He continued to dribble the ball he did small crossovers. Left, right, left, right. He moved the ball back to his left and disappeared from Aomine's sight. Aomine looked back and saw Ryuto dunking. He had a shocked expression.

"H-h-how?" Aomine asked. "My chance to win never faded. That chance was on the court playing against you. I promised them I would return, and so I did." Ryuto said not facing him. "But I'm stronger than you!" Aomine yelled in frustration.

Ryuto then turned to face him solid grey lightning in his eyes and a calm expression. Aomine took a step back, he was surprised that Ryuto managed to enter a second time.

"I was told the second time is the hardest to enter. But to me, it's as easy as snapping my fingers." Ryuto said as he jogged past him.

The stands erupted in cheers. The crowd was not expecting to have a battle of two in the Zone.

"A battle of Zone." Takao said amazed. "Both of them going 100%, it's anyone's game right now." Midorima said.

"So Ryuto and Daiki can enter. Amazing." Seijūrō said with a satisfied smile.

On Tōō's offense the ball was given to Aomine and space was given for the two to do battle. Aomine began to dribble and move around faster than before. Ryuto; however, was able to keep up. Aomine was then able to break away and scored a dunk. It was Ryuto's turn to score. Ryuto received the ball and began to do crossovers with slight movements forwards. He then took a big step to the right and turned back to the left, making Aomine fall the the floor. He then easily passed Wakamatsu and scored another dunk. The crowd roared in approval, with most yelling: _He just ankle broke Aomine!_ Then Aomine was back at it he did move fast maneuvers and managed to score, with Ryuto always returning the favor. When the timer reached five minutes, Hyuga roared that they were going to win. As Ryuto drove down the court, Aomine was right behind him. Ryuto then came to a complete stop and set up for a shot. He then switched the position of his shooting hand and sent a pass to Hyuga who sunk a three. Ryuto high fived him as they returned to defense. Aomine then drove down the court him self and Ryuto was waiting for him to attack. Instead, Aomine stopped and jumped backwards throwing the ball at the basket scoring. When Ryuto received the ball on offense, he pushed the ball in one direction as he went the other. Aomine tried to go for the ball with his Zone enhanced speed, but Ryuto was faster and grabbed the ball again and drove towards the basket, scoring with a dunk. Aomine the quickly returned the favor with a dunk of his own. Ryuto looked towards the the score, it was 86-92; they were still six points behind. Then the buzzer rang signaling a timeout. As the team sat down, everyone congratulated Ryuto on being able to match Aomine.

"It's a lot harder since he's in the Zone. I have to use everything I got. He's really damn fast." Ryuto said panting. "Can you handle him?" Hyuga asked. "If I need help, I'll tell you." Ryuto answered. "Dude you don't have to take all the responsibility of taking him on yourself!" Kagami argued. "You're right I don't. But right now I have something to prove. Something I've had to prove since I was eight years old." Ryuto said standing up.

Back on the court, Ryuto and Aomine once again were face to face. Aomine would move slightly every so often, and Ryuto would jerk in that direction. Aomine then smiled.

"Compared to Kagami, your light is very bright. Tetsu should have chosen you."Aomine said driving to the basket.

As he went up for a dunk, Ryuto slapped it away from him. Ryuto then recovered the ball and sprinted down the court. Aomine was quick to follow, and managed to pass him. Aomine waited for him at the three point line, but Ryuto stopped at the half-court line. He then set up for a shot and took it. As the ball sailed, time seemed to slow down. Ryuto turned away and returned to defense and the ball made it to the hoop; nothing but net. Aomine had a surprised look on his face; meanwhile in the stands, Midorima looked like he was about to blow a fuse.

"To be honest, I prefer to stay out of the light. But for this game, I will be the light. Not for just Kuroko, but for the whole team!" Ryuto announced.

Aomine scoffed, he then drove towards the basket and scored. The gap was now by five, Ryuto gritted his teeth. He then received the inbound and stood at the three point line. He stopped his dribble and held the ball out on his side. Aomine tired to reach for it, but Ryuto threw it back. Hyuga then received it and shot a three, making it. _It's now or never_ Ryuto thought. On Tōō's offense, Aomine and Ryuto were once again locked in a one-on-one. Aomine continued to do irregular movements, he was then able to get past Ryuto and threw the ball towards the basket. Ryuto managed to intercept the throw and slapped it to the out of bounds. On Tōō's inbound, Ryuto was able to cut it off and he darted down the court. He could feel himself slowing down, not being able to use his full court full speed drive. _Dammit, using the Zone a second time is really taking a lot out of me and faster too_ Ryuto thought. He slowed down in order for the others to make it back.

"What's the matter Ryu? Getting slow?" Aomine taunted. "Just waiting for everyone to catch up." Ryuto answer panting.

He dribbled the ball slowly and did small crossovers.

"Is all you know how to do crossovers?" Aomine taunted.

Ryuto then smiled and stopped dribbling. He then set up for a shot, Aomine jumped and Ryuto let go of the ball making it bounce of Aomine's thigh and grabbed it again. He then drove towards the basket and dunked, scoring another point.

"That has to be dickest move I have ever seen." Izuki said as they returned to defense.

Ryuto shrugged and set up for defense _._ As the two continued to face off, not one of them gave an inch. Their fight seemed to have the entire stadium on edge. Ryuto could see the smile of excitement from Aomine, and he smiled as well. _I told I would come back stronger and I did_ Ryuto thought. On another one-on-one Ryuto had the ball. He did the usual crossover, this time with a small step in between the crossovers. On the last step, he made Aomine fall to the floor and he drove to the basket. Susa tried to defend, but it was no use, Ryuto shot the ball and made it. The score was 95-98 and there were only 40 seconds left. Ryuto could feel as the Zone started to fade. _Dammit, it's fading faster than usual_ Ryuto thought. Aomine once again received the ball and Ryuto was there with him. Aomine tried to break way from him, but could not. _Looks like you ran out of time_ Ryuto thought. Aomine then jumped backwards and threw the ball towards the basket. Ryuto then jumped and managed to swat the ball down. Izuki was able to recover the ball and passed to Hyuga who scored a lay up. With thirty seconds left, Seirin was down by one. With Tōō once again on offense, Imayoshi passed to Aomine claiming that he was stronger. When Aomine received the ball, he looked straight into Ryuto's eye's and could still see flickers of lightning.

"How have you not reached the time limit? Especially entering it a second time?" Aomine said in disbelief. "It's because my team trusts me to stop stop you. With that, I will use up the last bit of energy I have to stop you." Ryuto said.

Aomine then drove down towards the baseline, where Ryuto and Kagami boxed him in. Aomine then jumped and threw the ball from behind the basket and made it. As Seirin drove down the court for, what could be their final play, Ryuto heard Kise and Kasamatsu scream for them not to give up. Izuki then passed to Kiyoshi who tried to score a hook shot, but Wakamatsu was there to stop him. He then passed to Kagami, who also tried to shoot, but Susa's defense would not let him. He then passed to Kuroko, who passed behind his back to Hyuga. Hyuga tried to do the Barrier Jumper along with Kuroko's Overflow, but Sakurai managed to keep Hyuga close and prevent him from shooting. Ryuto then called out for a pass, which he received. Ryuto then turned and drove towards the basket. He jumped up for a dunk, but he could see Aomine ready to jump and block it. Ryuto then sent a pass, midair, to Kagami. Kagami then went up for a shot, he made it and was fouled in the process. During a quick rest before the free throw, Hyuga said that the plan was for Kagami to miss the free throw and both he and Ryuto were to jump to get the rebound.

"I'll go up with everything I have, but it's all up to you Ryuto." Hyuga said. "I'll finish this." Ryuto said.

 _I may not be in the Zone anymore, but I will beat him_ Ryuto thought. The two teams set up for the free throw. Kagami took a few seconds before shooting, he then set up for the shot and released. Everything was in slow motion as the ball sailed and hit the back of the rim and off the basket. Everyone jumped for the ball, but using his last bit of Zone Ryuto jumped higher than the rest. He grabbed the ball and went for the dunk, but Aomine managed to slap the ball away. Ryuto looked back and saw that both Izuki and Imayoshi went after the ball. However, Imayoshi was further ahead than Izuki. As Ryuto looked closer he could see that in fact Kuroko was ahead of both of them. He turned and set up for an Ignite Pass.

"I believed in both of them. However, there's only one person I believe will make the final shot. He may not be my light, in fact he's a shadow that can become bright. Ryuto-kun!" Kuroko yelled as the ball jetted back.

Both Ryuto and Aomine jumped, but Ryuto was the one to catch the ball. Ryuto could hear everyone yell out: _Go, Ryuto!_ He could also see the determination in Aomine's face. Ryuto smiled: _I told you I would comeback stronger._ Ryuto then dunked over Aomine. As the two landed the buzzer rang. Ryuto and Aomine stared at the referee, who declared that the basket counted. For a moment everyone was silent, then everyone roared in happiness. Everyone ran over to Ryuto with happiness written all over them and congratulated him on his point. Ryuto could see everyone's smiling faces, he then looked over to Riko who was getting emotional again. Ryuto smiled, he would go over to her later. He then turned to Aomine, who had a face of disappointment. He walked over to him and the two remained silent as they stared at each other.

"Good game." Ryuto said. "I lost, I still can't believe it." Aomine said. "Remember that promise we made way back when?" Ryuto asked. "Yeah. You could barely speak Japanese, but you basketball skills more than made up for that. Clearly you did improve since then and you Japanese is better." Aomine said with a slight joking tone. "I said I would win, and I did. No hard feelings?" Ryuto asked extending his hand. "Next time we play, I will win." Aomine said shaking Ryuto's hand.

The referee then blew his whistle and told everyone to line up. As Ryuto walked over he could see Kuroko start to get dizzy. As he rushed over to his friend, Kagami was there to catch him.

"You did well, Kuroko." Ryuto said. "Thanks you, Ryuto-kun." Kuroko said. "For what?" Ryuto asked. "Both you and Kagami-kun managed to make Aomine smile again. For that I thank you." Kuroko said with a smile. "We're not out of the woods yet. We still go more game to play." Ryuto said.

Kagami then exchanged words Aomine saying that next time they played, he would be ready. Aomine then looked towards Kuroko and said that he had won. Kuroko the asked Aomine for a favor and help up his fist. He asked for a fist bump saying that Aomine never returned one. Aomine tried to avoid it, but nonetheless agreed and their fists met. Ryuto smiled, the two had become friends again. The two teams lined up and thanked each other for the game. Then the two went their separate ways. Ryuto looked around and saw Kaijo leaving, he then saw Seijūrō leaving as well. He looked up in the stands and saw Midorima and Takao also get up to leave. Finally he saw Murasakibara and Himuro stand to leave as well. Himura sent him and acknowledging nod, which Ryuto returned. He then followed his team off the court. As the team went towards the locker room, Riko jumped on Ryuto and squeezed him.

"What's with the rough hug?" Ryuto complained. "Sorry, good job out there." Riko said with a smile. "Thanks. I could really use some rest though." Ryuto said yawing.

As the team arrived at the locker room, everyone congratulated each other on the game. A few moments later: Ryuto, Kuroko, Kagami, Kiyoshi, Hyuga, and Izuki all fell asleep as hey sat down. The coach smiled and decided to let them be.

"They deserve it after all." She said aloud.

 ***PLEASE READ***

 **AN: You managed to read all of it, nice job. Hope you enjoyed. Now explanations: the length was because the third quarter is bloated. I tried to combine the second and third quarters into one and that mad it longer. I tried to shorten it the best I could, but I'm not that skilled of a writer just yet sorry. Another reason is because this game is long af! And finally it's because of how I wanted this game to go. I always intended for Ryuto to dominate the first quarter (thats the reason why Aomine does not go into the zone at that moment he was caught off guard), since the first quarter is practically all original its the shortest same goes for the fourth. The second quarter is basically the first quarter originally and like I said the third is a mashup of the second and third. I'll try to shorten things that follow the main story when I add in my own stuff for the game, or I might just remake the game entirely (idk yet you guys can decide). Now that that's all out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for the next one. Remember to review, follow, and/or favorite if you haven't already. Thanks guys for waiting this long, means a lot!**


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: Here is another chapter for you guys. I hope you guys enjoy this one. It's shorter than last one, so a faster read. This chapter is mainly for character development, next chapter is another game so stay tuned for that. Remember I do NOT own KnB, I only own my character.**

Chapter 16

Master and Apprentice

After a few minutes of rest, the six who feel asleep were woken up, and the team gathered to leave. Ryuto let out a big yawn, while Hyuga said that he could not believe that he feel asleep in a locker room. Izuki made a silly pun, while Kiyoshi said that he hopes no one catches a cold. Koga then said that they should celebrate their win, but Hyuga shot him down saying that they had matches coming up and most of them in a row. Ryuto just shrugged at everything, he just wanted to rest. Then the coach announced that they should go out and celebrate, and that their recovery was important. She continued saying that they needed to eat in order to recover. Hyuga then asked where to go, since eating out was expensive. The coach said that her house was to far, to be able to go. Ryuto thought about asking Satsuki, but then waved the thoughts out of his head; knowing it was a bad idea. Then Kagami spoke up saying that his house was not far, with everyone looking back curiously. After walking a short distance, they made it to Kagami's house. As everyone entered everyone's jaw dropped.

"This place is huge!" Koga yelled out. "You really live here?" Tsuchida asked in disbelief. "Well I was supposed to live here with my dad." Kagami explained.

Ryuto sighed and looked around, it was decently sized. Ryuto began to wonder how Kagami afforded the place, but decided not to ask.

"About the same size as my old place." Ryuto said aloud. "I thought you lived with your cousin?" Riko asked. "When I first got to Japan, I lived by myself. Temporary living you could say." Ryuto explained. "Interesting." Riko said walking away towards the kitchen.

A few moments later, the coach announced that she was finished cooking. Ryuto looked towards her with a surprised look. _She next to me a second ago_ Ryuto thought. As she set down the boiling pot, everyone gathered around it fearfully. As Izuki went for the first taste, he was stopped by Hyuga. He then turned to Kuroko and Ryuto and told them to get first.

"You look shady, captain." Kuroko said. "I have food that I brought, but thanks anyways." Ryuto said as he turned to open his bag.

As he grabbed what was inside, he caught a glare from Riko; which sent shivers down his spine. Quickly, Ryuto let go of what he had packed and turned to the pot. He then grabbed the chopsticks and prepared to grab from the pot.

"On second thought I'll have some anyway." Ryuto said with a fearful smile.

Kuroko and Ryuto both grabbed something form the pot. Kuroko pulled out a banana, while Ryuto pulled out a grape. Ryuto stared at it for a second before placing it his plate, Kuroko did the same. Hyuga then began to criticize asking why there was fruit in the pot. Riko responded saying that it was in the bag. Kiyoshi then said that they should eat it, just avoid the bananas and grapes. He then went to grab something, but he also grabbed a fruit; this time a strawberry. Once again Hyuga asked about the fruit, with the response being that it was in the bag. Kuroko then took a bite out of the banana and said that it was not that bad. Everyone then began to take some, saying that the fruit gave an extra taste. Using the commotion, Ryuto grabbed what he had in his bag and rested against the wall. He removed the plastic wrap around the sandwich and began to eat. _Nothing beats a standard peanut butter and jelly sandwich_ Ryuto thought as he took a bite. After he finished he felt himself drift off to sleep, and the next thing he knew he was fast asleep. After falling asleep, Ryuto shot himself awake after hearing a loud scream. Since he was abruptly woken up everyone jumped back in fear.

" _Batman, Joker's in the toy store you have to stop him!"_ Ryuto yelled out after waking up, and in English.

After realizing where he was, he let out a nervous laugh, while receiving strange stares form everyone.

"Don't you guys have dreams?" Ryuto asked.

He received no response as Koga burst out the hallway. He then began to make strange noises and no words. The a voice called out from the hallway asking about the noise. The voice spoke in English and was defiantly feminine, but Ryuto was not sure who it was; he had an idea though. Then a woman appeared she had blonde hair and green eyes, with pink glasses. She only wore a white shirt and red striped underwear. Ryuto reeled back, knowing who it was after seeing her.

" _Taiga you came back,"_ the woman said in English, _"I missed you so much."_ She said rushing to him and kissing him.

She then turned to Ryuto and a large smile formed on her face.

 _"And Ryuto too? I've missed you as well!"_ she said latching on to him and kissing him as well.

Everyone on the Seirin team seemed to be extremely jealous at the woman kissing two of their teammates. Ryuto then turned to Riko and she looked at Ryuto, with what looked like to him as anger.

 _"Who the hell are you guys?"_ the woman asked to the rest of the guys. "Who the hell are you?!" Everyone responded.

" _What are you doing here all of a sudden?"_ Kagami asked surprised. _"Jesus Taiga, you have such a heavy accent. Let me do the talking."_ Ryuto said turing to the woman. _"What, I can be here can't I?"_ the woman asked. " _He means why are you here, Alex?"_ Ryuto asked her.

"You're Kagami's teacher?" Everyone asked. " _I get it now, you're Taiga and Ryuto's teammates. Pleased to meet you, I'm Alexandra Garcia."_ the woman, now called Alex, said to everyone.

The whole team had cold stares to one specific area as they looked at her.

" _Just shut it and put your pants on!"_ Kagami yelled throwing pants to her. " _Is that really the way you treat your teacher?_ " Alex asked.

After putting on her pants everyone gathered around the newcomer. She was then given a cup of coffee by Riko, who she tanked in English; Riko responded with a nervous smile. Koga then began to try to ask a question in English, before Ryuto stopped him.

" _I can translate if you want Alex."_ Ryuto said to her. " _No need_. I can speak Japanese. I majored it in college and Taiga taught me some. You guys should know Ryuto was hopeless in Japanese, for a time." Alex said laughing while switching languages. "They don't need to know that." Ryuto said placing a hand behind his head and his face bright red.

Izuki was flipping thourgh a magazine, when he came across an article about Alex. The article said that she played in the WNBA. Everyone was amazed that she was pro, but Alex quickly shot them down saying that she had retired already; due to an illness. She explained that she now coaches a small club team. Riko then sat down next to her asked why she was in Japan. Before Kagami or Ryuto could warn her about what was going to happen next, Alex was kissing Riko. Riko forced herself to get away from Alex, and stood a few steps away from her. Ryuto then stood up and went over to her.

"Should've warned you about that earlier." Ryuto said nervously. "By the way, when she kissed me, its just her way of 'greeting' people. Think nothing of it." Ryuto explained in a hushed tone.

Ryuto then sat back down, and turned his attention to Alex; who had just discovered Kuroko. She reeled back in surprise asking how long had he been there, with Kuroko responding that he was there the entire time. Then her mood turned serious realizing who Kuroko was.

"Taiga and Tatsuya. I came to see my two students play basketball." Alex said. "So, Tatsuya is here. I heard about it, but wasn't sure." Ryuto said. "Well he is, I'm surprised you didn't find out earlier." Alex said. "I would've if someone would have told me earlier." Ryuto said glaring at Kagami. "I was going to tell you, but it slipped my mind after everything that has happened." Kagami defended himself.

Alex then explained how she met the two. After having to retire early from the WNBA, she released her frustrations playing street basketball. Then two boys appeared to her asking if she could teach them. She that she was reluctant at first, but after sometime she found herself teaching the two.

"I've come to see my two student play each other. Of course I'm curious." Alex said. "Actually we don't know if we'll be playing them." Hyuga said. " _What?!"_ Alex exclaimed.

Hyuga then explained that they did not have a game until the day after tomorrow. She then asked if she could join them while they went to watch games.

"I have one question." Izuki said. "And what's that?" she asked. "How does Ryuto fit into that story?" Izuki asked.

Ryuto turned to face Alex. The two then nodded and turned to the team.

"It's a short story to be honest." Alex said. "One day I was looking for Taiga and Tatsuya, I saw them playing and Alex seemed to be teaching them. I joined up with them that day and from the there I would join them every once in a while. I had my own teacher, to teach me how to get better." Ryuto explained.

Everyone had their collection of faces that showed that they understood what he had explained. After a little while longer everyone left Kagami's house to their own respective homes, leaving Alex, Kagami, and Ryuto in the apartment.

"Taiga, you mind if I spend the night here?" Ryuto asked. "I don't have an extra bed, but if you want to sleep on the couch that's fine." Kagami explained. "That's cool. Let me just tell my family that I'm staying here for the night." Ryuto said walking outside.

The Kagami and Alex were left alone. Alex stayed sitting down, while Kagami brought blankets to the couch.

"He's gotten a lot stronger." Alex said looking out the window. "Who, Ryuto?" Kagami asked. "Yeah, just by looking at him I can tell he's improved leaps and bounds. The strength he has now, he would have never achieved it if he stayed in the States." Alex explained. "That's why I respect him, he may no longer be my captain, but he's still a lot stronger than me." Kagami said. "I remember you would train to beat both him and Tatsuya, especially him." Alex said with a smile. "It's because he so good at everything. No one could stop his crossover, not even our second best player in middle school; and he was the fastest on our team." Kagami said. "You sound jealous?" Alex said. "A bit to be honest." Kagami said. "I'm sure the two of you will one day be on the same level." Alex said.

Kagami then walked towards his room and closed the door, announcing that he was going to change. A few seconds later, Ryuto walked back into the apartment and let out a sigh.

"Jeez, my cousin talks way too much." Ryuto said. "I wonder if Taiga will let my use his washing machine?" Ryuto asked to no one in particular. "I see you still talk to yourself." Alex said laughing. "Didn't see you there." Ryuto said. "Where did Taiga go?" Ryuto asked. "He said that he was going to change." Alex explained. "I'll wait until he comes out then." Ryuto said sitting down.

"So you and the girl, whats the story there?" Alex asked raising an eyebrow.

Ryuto's face turned bright red as he turned away from her.

"I knew it, you tried to not make it obvious. I wonder how everyone else hasn't found out yet." Alex said. "She's just a friend Alex, nothing more." Ryuto said nervously. "You never were a good liar." Alex said. "Fine, I concede. Yes her and I… I guess you could call it dating, but we haven't really gone out yet since Winter Cup started. So I'm not sure what to call it." Ryuto said. "Call it a start." Alex said. "Does anyone else know?" Alex asked. "No not yet. But keep it to yourself. I don't want people knowing just yet." Ryuto said.

"Not knowing what?" Kagami asked as walked out of the hallway. "It's nothing you should be worried about." Ryuto said nervously. "Whatever," Kagami said, "if you want, you can use these for the night."

Ryuto took the shirt and pants from Kagami and thanked him for them.

"By the way can I use your washing machine?" Ryuto asked. "Sure, put it in with my uniform too." Kagami said. "Thanks." Ryuto said.

After saying goodnight to everyone, Ryuto settled into the couch. His mind began to wander and as it wandered, Ryuto found himself dozing off; and finally to sleep. The next day the team gathered, plus Alex to watch some of the matches of Winter Cup and the one of their next opponents. When they arrived, Alex pointed out that Japanese basketball was a lot better than she anticipated. She would point out things that she found interesting, such as strategies or significant players. During a warmup period, she seemed to be focused on the number 7 of a school called Onita. Ryuto did not pay attention to the details, all he cared about was their opponents; Shutoku. Ryuto could see how she flinched when she noticed Midorima's presence, it was not something that could go unnoticed. The game ended with Shutoku's win, not that anyone was surprised. The team decided to watch one last game before leaving, which was another game that was not as important. Ryuto stood and walked towards the hallway, when he was asked where he was going, Ryuto responded that he was going to meet up with someone. He walked around the building until he saw two people. They both wore a purple and white jacket with Yosen written on the back. One of the boys was tall and had purple hair and kept eating away at a bag full of snacks. The other was a boy with black hair and a large portion of it covering his left eye. As Ryuto passed them, the boy with black hair stopped walking.

" _I saw you play against Tōō, you've gotten very strong."_ the black haired boy said not facing Ryuto. " _We all have to get better at some point, don't we Tatsuya."_ Ryuto said.

Tatsyua let out a small chuckle and turned to face Ryuto.

"Let's see what you can do if you end up facing us." Tatsuya challenged. "I didn't take you as the gambling type Tatsuya." Ryuto said. "I'm not. Just curious how I can handle your strength Ryuto." Tatsuya said. "Let's hope we do meet on the court." Ryuto said. "That's the plan," Tatsuya said turning on his heel, "come on Atsushi we have to meet up with the others."

Ryuto let out a sigh and walked back towards where the team was. He remained quiet for the rest of the game. He could feel the occasional stares coming from some of his teammates, but he paid no attention to them. After the last game of the night ended, the team left the gymnasium. While walking, Hyuga commented that he would never get used to see members of the Generation of Miracles play. Kiyoshi continued the topic by saying that schools that had members of the Generation of Miracles in them made the team exceptionally good. The coach then said that they all already knew that and they should be worried about their next opponents. The team agreed in unison with her statement. Then Alex said that she wanted to borrow Kagami for some time. Everyone seemed surprised at the question, with Alex sating that she would bring him back in time for the game. The coach ultimately agreed, and Kagami and Alex began to walk off. Alex then stopped and turned to Ryuto.

"You're welcome to come, if you want to." Alex said in a serious tone. "I'll think about. But from the looks of it Taiga's going to need it more than me." Ryuto said. "Suit yourself." Alex said walking off.

"What was that about?" Riko asked. "Like I said, Taiga needs it more than me." Ryuto said.

As they walked towards the train, Ryuto could feel someone tugging on his arm. He looked down to see Kuroko. Just by reading his eyes, he could see he wanted something.

"What's wrong Kuroko?" Ryuto asked. "Can you come with me for a second. I'm meeting up with someone, and I would like for you to come with me." Kuroko said.

Ryuto pondered the request for a second, but Kuroko's eyes now seemed to be pleading for him to follow. Ryuto let out a defeated sigh.

"Alright fine. Who are we meeting up with?" Ryuto asked. "You'll see." Kuroko said.

Kuroko then went to the coach and she nodded at whatever he asked her. She then looked up towards Ryuto with the same look she gave Kuroko. Ryuto shrugged his shoulders, as if saying he had no idea what was going on. As Kuroko began to walk, Ryuto followed. The two walked around for a few minutes, until Ryuto saw a flash of navy blue. After the crowd dispersed a bit, Ryuto could see who Kuroko was meeting up with; it was Aomine.

"Hello." Kuroko said. "Don't give me that. Why did you call me out her all of a sudden, Tetsu?" Aomine asked. "Let me be direct, Aomine-kun… Teach me to shoot." Kuroko said.

Aomine then raised an eyebrow in confusion. He then looked up and his eyes showed even more confusion.

"Why is he here?" Aomine asked pointing to Ryuto. "I've asked him to help me learn as well. Both of you are the best shooters I know, so it made sense." Kuroko explained.

On the train the coach explained where Kuroko and Ryuto had gone to.

"I get why he's seeing Aomine, but why take Ryuto with him?" Tsuchida asked. "Because on this team, next to Hyuga, Ryuto is the best shooter" the coach explained. "She's right, since joining this team, I've never seen Ryuto miss a shot." Hyuga commented.

Back with Kuroko, Ryuto and Aomine; the three had walked towards a court, where Kuroko began to take shots. After his first shot, Ryuto could see it was going to be difficult to teach him. Aomine on the other hand voiced his frustrations, saying that he was dragged out here to see him take crappy shots. He continued saying that he never agreed that he would teach him. Kuroko asked why was that and Aomine's response was that it was weird for some to ask to teach them after beating them. Ryuto kept quite since he knew this was between them. Ryuto could see Aomine calm down a bit as he let out a sigh and sat down against a pole.

"I haven't slept since." Aomine said. "Hmm?" Kuroko managed to say.

Ryuto opened his ears to what Aomine had say.

"I went home, ate, took a bath, then I went to lie down. But I couldn't sleep. My body was exhausted, but when I closed my eyes I saw scenes of the game. I had forgotten what that was like. My chest feels tight, I feel nauseous like I'm going to puke, and my head is pounding. Since I forgot about it, I kind of missed it, but now that I've experienced it again, I don't miss it at all. It still just sucks. It was an awful night. But that's why I want to play basketball again so soon." Aomine said.

Ryuto took a deep breath and then said: "That feeling, it's called loss. But at the same time you feel excitement. I felt the same when we lost to you the first time, I might not have played, but seeing how strong you got after all these years, made me want to play more than ever before. So, I can understand how you feel."

"I didn't need the explanation. Talking about it made me want to play." Aomine said taking off his jacket. "If you can't help your self Tetsu, I'll play with you. And Ryu, butt out." Aomine said.

Ryuto raised his hands in defense and walked a few paces backwards to give the two space.

"I'm saying that I'm here to help you shoot." Aomine said. "I'm here to do that too." Ryuto commented. "I said butt out!" Aomine yelled out. "He is here to do that." Kuroko said. "Fine, but if he gets in my way, somethings going to happen." Aomine threatened. "Jeez, some friend you are." Ryuto said crossing his arms.

The next day, Ryuto spent the day helping Kuroko learn to shoot with Aomine. Even with everything they were teaching him, Kuroko still faced the same problem; nothing would go into the basket. After a few more hours of practicing, it came time for their game. Kuroko and Ryuto parted ways with Aomine as the two headed for the Winter Cup gymnasium.

"You know, there's nothing wrong with your form." Ryuto said. "If that's the case, then why can't I make anything?" Kuroko said. "To be honest, I don't have a clue. We'll just have to wait and see." Ryuto said.

When they arrived to the gym, the team was already waiting for them. On the bench for the game, the coach determined the starting lineup. The starters were Hyuga, Izuki, Kiyoshi, Mitobe, and Tsuchida. As they walked onto the court, Hyuga told the three first-years to not look so worried. With Kagami responding that they were not. Hyuga then nodded and walked onto the court. The coach then sat down next to Ryuto and let out a sigh.

"What's that all about?" Ryuto asked. "Nothing, just nervous I guess." Riko said. "I understand. We just have to keep playing hard." Ryuto said. "I've been meaning to ask, how are you feeling?" Riko asked. "In terms of my ankle fine. There's nothing wrong with it." Ryuto answered. "That's good to hear. I'm going to sit you out for the remainder of the tournament, unless there's a game where you're absolutely needed. I can tell your body is still recovering from using the Zone." Riko said. "Ok then. I trust you." Ryuto said.

Then with the sound of the whist Seirin's second game of Winter cup began. As the game progressed, Ryuto noticed something different about the team. He could see that they seemed to be struggling against a "basic" team. He looked towards the people on the bench, they all seemed to be worried about how everything was going. Towards the end of the second quarter, the other team was ahead. It was not by much, but the team seemed to struggle scoring points. _Has the victory against Tōō gotten to their head?_ Ryuto wondered. Kuroko then suggested that the team should take a timeout, to which the coach agreed to. When the timeout was called the players on the court seemed to be relieved. Once the starters sat down, the coach began to talk until Hyuga stopped her. He pulled out a tournament bracket and pointed to what they were aiming for. He then said that every team there fought hard to get to the tournament. He continued to by saying that they were going to beat them all and stand at the top. He then said for the coach to give them her best shot, so they could focus. The coach had the happiest expression on here face as she winded up to hit them. As they walked onto the court after the timeout, they all had visible red hand marks on their faces, but they had renewed determination.

"Did you have to hit everyone?" Ryuto asked rubbing his cheek. "I got caught up in the moment." she answered with a smile.

Ryuto rolled his eyes and turned to the game. On the teams inbound, after a few passes Kiyoshi scored a point and the team hit a high stride. During that high stride, the team found new determination and managed to barely pull out the win. The team cheered in excitement as they were able to move on to the next round. The next day the team played again. During the fourth quarter Seirin was loosing, then the coach put in Kuroko and Kagami and they managed to pull out another close victory. Seirin was head to the quarter finals. Ryuto looked towards the scores of the rest of the games and found that Yosen, Tatsuya's team, had won their game while leaving the opponent at zero. Ryuto found it unbelievable, he knew Tatsuya was strong and the purple haired guy as well, but after seeing the score Yosen looked like a tough opponent then Tōō. At Kagami's house, the team gathered to watch the video on the game against Yosen. Ryuto could now see why the opponent scored zero; Yosen was absurdly tall.

"Damn, three guys over 6'5'' and an agile point guard, plus Tatsuya, these guys are defiantly good." Ryuto said aloud. "Ryuto, no one in Japan uses the 'American' system of measurement." Kagami whispered. "Oh right my bad, over 194 centimeters." Ryuto corrected. "Anyways, these guys are defiantly going to be tough." Hyuga commented.

Everyone else on the team began to say their own inputs on the opponent, and most of them were in agreement on the fact that Yosen was a defensive team. The next morning Ryuto was walking with Satsuki to see how Kuroko's training was going. As they walked, Satsuki would ramble on about how the game against Yosen was going to be interesting. As they made it to the court, Satsuki jumped and hugged Kuroko tightly. Ryuto sighed as he stopped walking. Ryuto and Aomine then faced each other, they said nothing they only stared.

"Ok, this is point less." Ryuto said breaking the silence. "Agreed. "Aomine said. "So how's shooting going?" Ryuto asked. "I just made seven out of ten, using the new shooting form I developed." Kuroko said. "Thats good. I'll have to admit Kuroko, you're becoming a real threat. Not only on the passing side, but now on the shooting as well." Ryuto said with a smile. "Thank you, Ryuto-kun." Kuroko said.

Ryuto then turned to Aomine, who seemed pensive about something. He decided not to ask and turned his attention back to Kuroko. Kuroko then turned to Aomine and bowed, thanking him. Aomine then turned away embarrassed a bit. Ryuto and Satsuki let out a small chuckle as they saw the face Aomine made.

"What are you thanking me for? I just couldn't stand how badly you sucked." Aomine said placing his hand behind his head.

Ryuto rolled his eyes again: _Does this guy really make an excuse for everything._ Aomine then began to describe Murasakibara, saying that it was hard to score on him, even for him. Aomine then turned to leave saying that the next time they meet it would be as opponents. He then turned to face Ryuto.

"And Ryu, _Good luck._ " Aomine said in english. "So you didn't forget to practice your english," Ryuto said with a smile, "anyways thanks. Hope to see you again soon."

Aomine scoffed and turned to leave, calling for Satsuki to follow him. She then turned to Ryuto and told him to call her of he was going to be staying again at Kagami's house. Ryuto sighed and nodded, she smiled and followed Aomine. Ryuto and Kuroko began walking towards the gymnasium to play their match against Yosen. Both of them stayed quiet as they walked. Kuroko would occasionally glance to Ryuto wondering what he was thinking about.

 _Flashback_

"Hey Tatsuya, who's the redhead?" Ryuto called out. "His name is Taiga." Tatsuya said. "Oh, your that new Japanese kid I've heard about. I'm Ryuto Rishihara pleased to meet you." Ryuto said smiling extending his hand. "Nice to meet you too." Taiga said shaking his hand.

Then the game amongst the kids began and ended at around sundown. Everyone had gone their separate ways leaving Ryuto and Tatsuya on the court.

"That's an interesting guy you found." Ryuto said. "I just asked him to play to make the teams even. You sure?" Tatsuya asked. "I can see something inside him. I'm not sure what it is, but it's something." Ryuto said. "Raw talent?" Tatsuya asked. "Most likely." Ryuto said.

The two boys then parted ways. They met up the next day and the next, until they scarcely saw each other. Ryuto was not sure why, he missed Tatsuya. Streetball was not the same without him. One day he saw Tatsuya after school. Ryuto tired to go to him, but something seemed off about him.

"You alright Tatsuya?" Ryuto asked. "I'm fine, just want to be alone." Tatsuya said walking away.

 _End Flashback_

 _Where did you go after that day?_ Ryuto thought staring up at the sky.

"Something wrong?" Kuroko asked. "Yeah, just thinking." Ryuto said. "I'm sure Kagami-kun can handle his past." Kuroko said. "It's not Taiga that I'm worried about. It's me. Tatsuya and I have known each other since elementary school. One day I saw him and he didn't seem like the person I remembered. I then saw him again, after a long time, a few days back and it was like he never changed." Ryuto said.

Kuroko seemed to have a confused look on his face and Ryuto sighed.

"Sorry for dumping that on you." Ryuto said placing his hand behind his head. "It's fine, I know better understand the relationship you two had." Kuroko said. "I guess so, now its just a matter if coach will play me." Ryuto said. "That is the question." Kuroko said.

Once the two arrived they met up with the team and head to the locker room to change. After changing they head out to the court to begin to play their quarter final game. As they walked onto the court, they were met with thunderous applause as well as cameras. Ryuto could hear people saying what they thought about the team and how they made it so far, but he waved it out of his head, not wanting it to bother him. The Yosen walked onto the court, they too received thunderous applause. Ryuto saw Kagami staring at his ring, he knew what this game meant to him. The coach then sat down the starters, which included: Kuroko, Kagami, Izuki, Hyuga, and Ryuto. The team was a bit surprised seeing Ryuto starting, but they knew better than to doubt the coaches judgement. She called those five the strongest lineup. The team gathered together and yelled out their chant and the starters proceeded onto the court. As Ryuto walked, the coach stopped him.

"If you feel anything, tell me." she said sternly. "I will." Ryuto said subtly taking her hand.

He then gave her a smile and walked onto the court. He huddled together with the team as they discussed the game plan, and the first topic was Ryuto's Zone.

"I can't use it." Ryuto said. "What do you mean?" Izuki asked. "I mean that if I use it starting this quarter, it will expire just as quick. I noticed that the more I use it, the less time I'm in it." Ryuto explained. "Then save until you feel the time is right." Hyuga said.

Ryuto nodded and the team lined up to face the other team. Both teams bowed and the captains shook hands. Ryuto could see that Hyuga was bit intimidated by their size, truth be told, so was Ryuto. Kagami set up for the jump ball against Murasakibara, who seemed to tower over him despite Kagami's size. Ryuto then looked towards Tatsuya, Ryuto was guarding him. Then the ball was thrown up into the air and the two jumped.

 **AN: And here this chapter comes to a close. The next chapter is a game and an emotional one at that, so expect cool stuff(or not I'm not that good of a writer yet). I have this next week off from school, so more time to write. Actually scratch that, Pokemon Sun and Moon are released so that might take up most of my time. Anyways, I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can, so please bare with me a bit. Remember to review, follow, and/or favorite if your enjoying this story.**

 **On a separate note, I've been watching a lot of different anime's lately and I've got some pretty interesting ideas. I have my next few stories planned out, such as the sequel to this story, it's going to be a crossover with the Flarrowverse and I'm really excited to write that. After that I have something else in mind so I'm not leaving anytime soon.**


	17. Chapter 17

**AN: Finally another chapter. Sorry this one took so long, it had exams at school and couldn't find time to write. After exams, I poured into writing, but I'm on a trip right now. I managed to bring my laptop along so I could finish this chapter. So there are the reasons why this took so long. I thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy. Remember I do not own KnB, I only own my character.**

Chapter 17

Vs. Yosen

As the ball was thrown into the air, both Kagami and Murasakibara jumped for it. As the ball climbed higher, Murasakibara showed just how absurdly tall he was. When he reached the ball, he slapped towards the point guard. He received and stood still, then the referee blew his whistle calling a foul on Murasakibara. Ryuto raised an eyebrow, he looked towards Yosen, who spoke to Murasakibara as if this type of foul had happened before. The ball was then given to Seirin and Kuroko inbounded the ball, giving it to Izuki. The team then passed the ball around quickly, passing it until someone was open. When the ball reached Hyuga, he set up for a shot. As he jumped, Murasakibara jumped too. His shadow seemed to cover Hyuga. Murasakiibara then slapped down the shot as it rolled away Izuki was able to recover it. Izuki then stood at the three point line surveying everyone. Ryuto then called out for the ball to be passed to him. Izuki passed and Ryuto received it, he squared up to face Tatsuya. Ryuto knew Tatsuya's strengths, and he knew he had no hope in stopping his crossover. Ryuto began to dribble, moving the ball left and right. Tatsuya was vigilant, not easing up on his guard. Ryuto then did one final crossover to his left and disappeared from in front of Tatsuya. Ryuto reappeared as he was about to score a lay up, but Murasakibara managed to keep up and swatted the ball away. When Ryuto landed, he had his mouth wide open in surprise. _I could have sworn I had him beat. This guy can cover the entire court in a single step_ Ryuto thought looking up to Murasakibara.

"I've seen what you can do. If you hold back, I'll crush you." Murasakibara threatened.

On Yosen's offensive possession, Tatsuya ran down the court with the ball. He then stopped and passed to number 5, who once he received shot the ball. The ball bounced off the rim and both Ryuto and Kagami jumped for it, but they were beaten by two Yosen players; the captain and number 11. Number 11 then pushed the ball in, scoring for Yosen. When Ryuto landed he looked towards Murasakibara who had not moved moved from his defensive position.

"Is no one bothered by the fact we just lost a four versus five?" Ryuto said pointing to Murasakibara. "Even without him, these guys more than make up for it." Hyuga said.

Ryuto then inbounded the ball, giving it to Kuroko. Then Kuroko spun around, sending a Cyclone Pass towards Izuki. He managed to catch it and drove down the court. As he continued he stopped when he came face to face with Murasakibara. His defensive presence seemed to intimidate Izuki. Huyga then called out for a pass, when he received it, Hyuga set up for a shot. As he released, number 4 managed to graze it and the ball bounced off the rim. Murasakibara then easily got the rebound and Yosen was once again on offense. As the quarter continued Seirin could not score. Outside shots were either grazed by number 4 or 11 or they were blocked entirely by Murasakibara. Attempts to drive towards the basket were stopped due to not even being able to find a gap. Not even Ryuto could find even the smallest gap to be able to penetrate. With 15 seconds left, it seemed hopeless to be able to score. Ryuto glanced at the score board, it was 18-0. The clock stopped for a moment after an out of bounds and the buzzer sound signaling a player switch. Ryuto looked towards the bench and saw Kiyoshi, who nodded towards Ryuto. Ryuto nodded back and jogged towards the bench.

"Looks like my time is up." Ryuto said. "Don't worry, I'll get us this rebound." Kiyoshi said as the two clapped hands.

Ryuto grabbed a towel and a water bottle as he sat down on the bench. He then let out a sigh, he was not expecting to not be able to drive towards the basket. The game continued as number 5, from Yosen, released a shot, Kagami managed to graze it and the ball bounced off the rim. With Kagami trying to block the shot, it left Hyuga and Kiyoshi to try to get the rebound. Ryuto could see the determination in Kiyoshsi's face, he had something planned. He then let out a yell and managed to grab the ball with one hand. When he landed on the ground, the buzzer rang signaling the end of the quarter.

"Should've subbed me out earlier." Ryuto said. "What makes you say that?" Riko asked. "Well the fact that Kiyoshi could grab rebounds one handed, he should've started." Ryuto answered.

Riko shrugged at the comment. Once the players on the court arrived, they sat down and Riko began to discuss the game plan for the next quarter. She explained how Murasakibara basically covered everything inside the three point line and the rest would cover outside; 2-3 Zone defense. Izuki then asked if shooting three's were still a possiblity, with Hyuga saying that a single shot would not make a difference. Kiyoshi then said that in order to win they had to shoot inside the arc. Kuroko spoke up saying that he had a way to score from the inside. Everyone let out a surprised gasp, while Ryuto let out a small chuckle. The buzzer then sound to start the next quarter. The five that were sitting down got up and walked onto the court. Ryuto then placed a hand on Kuroko's shoulder; stopping him.

"Show him what you've learned. Show everyone." Ryuto said with a smile. "I will, Ryuto-kun." Kuroko said.

Ryuto then sat down on the bench, as he sat down, he could not wait to see the look on Murasakibara's face when he was scored on. The quarter started with Kuroko inbounding the ball to Izuki. When Izuki received it, he felt the intensity of the other team increase as Tatsuya and number 5 double teamed him. Izuki then found an opening and passed to Kiyoshi. Kyoshi then faked going right and turned left. He then jumped to take a shot, but Murasakibara was already putting his hand up to block the shot. Kiyoshi then threw the ball under Murasakibara's arm to Kagami, who was jumping up for an alley-oop. Murasakibara then turned to block Kagami, his hand stopped Kagami, but Kagami then passed to Kuroko. Ryuto could see everyone's eyes widen in surprise. _Now's where the fun begins_ Ryuto said to himself with a smile. Kuroko then set up for a shot, but his form was strange. He positioned the ball just under his chin, with one hand under and the other behind the ball. Murasakibara, then turned to block the shot, but as Kuroko released it, the ball seemed to phase threw his hand. The ball then entered the basket leaving everyone shocked, except for Ryuto and Aomine, who was in the audience. Kuroko had managed to score Seirin's first points of the game. Ryuto let out a small laugh, even thought it was only three days of training what Kuroko had managed to create was incredible.

"You knew about that shot didn't you?" Riko asked. "I helped in the creation of it. He perfected it." Ryuto answered with a smile.

 _Flashback_

 _"_ Six out of ten. Did you get worse in such a short time?" Aomine asked bluntly. "Dude, six out of ten isn't bad." Ryuto said defending his friend. "Maybe if you two showed me how you shoot, I could understand." Kuroko said passing to Aomine.

Aomine then shot with one hand and made the basket. He then turned to Kuroko and said: "Like that."

"I could use a more concrete explanation." Kuroko said. "Well, when you release for a shot you use your finger tips not the palm of your hand. So try doing that, use your fingertips." Ryuto explained as he released his shot.

"Isn't that what I've been doing?" Kuroko asked. "Maybe you should try to shoot the ball as if you're passing to the hoop." Aomine suggested. "Shooting and passing are so different. When I pass, I use the palm of my hand to push the ball." Kuroko explained. "Now hold on a second, I think Aomine is on the right track." Ryuto said. "He is?" Kuroko asked. "I am? I mean, I am. Tetsu, shoot it again. This time push the ball with your palm so it's easier for you to shoot." Aomine said.

Kuroko's face the brightened up with understanding and he began to shoot as if he were passing.

 _End Flashback_

On Yosen's offense, number 5 sized up Seirin's defensive formation. He could see that number 4 was pushing Kagami in order to get set up. Number 5 then passed to number 4 and he scored a lay up. On Seirin's next offensive possession, the ball was passed to Kuroko, who used the Vanishing Drive in order to get past number 5. He then set up for his shot, with number 11 arriving to block him. But the shot was a fake and Kuroko sent a pass to Hyuga, who scored a three. On Yosen's offense, Kagami was still struggling to defend number 4 and he once again scored. Kiyoshi then came to give some advice, Ryuto could not hear what he said but Kagami seemed to calmed down. Seirin managed to score again, thanks to Kuroko becoming a bigger threat on the court. On Yosen's offense, Kagami was still having trouble with number 4. Ryuto could see that he had understood Kiyoshi had said to him and he lowered his body and was able to stop being pushed by number 4. Number 4 then received that ball and set up for a shot. As he released, Kagami managed to keep up and slapped the ball away from the basket. Number 11 went to receive the rebound, but Kiyoshi appeared and grabbed it with one hand. Kiyohsi then sent a pass down court to Hyuga who sprinted the rest of the way with Kuroko behind him. Hyuga then stopped when he was face to face with Murasakibara. He set up for a shot, but Muraskaibara jumped to block it. The shot turned out to be a fake and Hyuga passed to Kuroko. He set up for his disappearing shot and Murasakibara jumped to block it. The ball; however, phased threw Murasakibara's hands and into the basket. After the shot, the buzzer sounded signaling the end of the second quarter. Ryuto looked towards the score board and saw that Seirin had caught up significantly; the score was 29-17. They were still behind, but the score was no longer 0.

"Kagami-kun, Ryuto-kun." Kuroko said. "Yeah I feel it." Ryuto said. "It's eerie. They haven't shown everything yet. The worst is yet to come." Kagami said.

In the locker room the team rested for a few minutes before they began to discuss the game plan. The first topic was wether or not they were going to use Kuroko's Overflow technique. The coach explained that against Yosen, it was not going to be effective since they relied on close range shots, rather than long range shots. She continued by saying that they needed to find a way to score on Murasakibara without Kuroko. All eyes then turned to Ryuto.

"What?" Ryuto asked. "Yes, Ryuto-kun will be a big factor, but Teppei, your strength will be become key as well." the coach explained.

She then moved onto defense, saying that Tatsuya was going to become a threat on the offensive side. She then said that either Ryuto or Kagami could stop him, and in order to win either of them had to stop Tatsuya.

"I'll leave him to you." Ryuto said crossing his arms. "Don't you have something to settle with him as well?" Kagami asked. "Not really. You do though, so I'll let you handle it." Ryuto said.

"Then it's settled, Kagami-kun needs to beat Himuro-kun. Teppei needs to beat Murasakibara-kun." the coach said. "I'll be there if the two of you need help." Ryuto said.

Both teams gathered on the court to start the second half. The five that were going to play headed onto the court, prepared to face the opponent. After Kuroko fist bumped both Kiyoshi and Kagami, Ryuto turned to him.

"You did good." Ryuto said. "Thanks in part to you." Kuroko said. "Honestly, creating that form was all you. For now let me be the shadow. So rest up, we'll need you back soon." Ryuto said.

Kuroko the raised his closed fist up to Ryuto. Ryuto smiled and returned the fist bumped. He then released a large breath and walked onto the court. The defense was Izuki and Kagami and the top with Ryuto in the center and Kiyoshi and Hyuga at the bottom. After analyzing, number 5 passed the ball to Tatsuya and Kagami prepared himself to defend him. _Don't let your feelings get in the way Taiga_ Ryuto thought. Kagami then yelled out that he was not going to loose to him. Tatsuya replied saying that Kagami looked like he meant what he had said to him and that he was going to be the victor. After a few seconds of staring, Tatsuya positioned himself for a shot. Kagami responded by jumping to block it, but Tatsuya never took his feet off the ground. He then moved past Kagami and drove to the basket. Ryuto then moved in to stop him from advancing, but Tatsuya stopped and set up for a shot. Ryuto could only watch how flawlessly Tatsuya released his shot, the ball then entered the basket scoring another point for Yosen. _After all this time, you still haven't lost your grace_ Ryuto thought. After Seirin's offensive possession, Yosen once again had the ball and it was passed to Tatsuya. Ryuto could feel Tatsuya's intensity towards Kagami, he knew about their relationship, but he did not know how far it went. Tatsuya set up for a shot and jumped, this time his feet left the ground. Kagami jumped to block it, but the ball went right through his hand. Ryuto could only stare, eyes wide, at how unbelievable that shot was.

"That shot literally defies physics." Ryuto said aloud.

After the shot, the buzzer sounded signaling a member change. It was Tsuchida entering for Kagami. Kagami looked with surprise, but nonetheless walked off the court.

"I guess I'll handle Tatsuya." Ryuto said. "He's all yours." Hyuga responded.

After a strategy meeting on the court, the duty to score fell upon Kiyoshi, who agreed to do it. As they set up for offense, Kiyoshi tried hard to get in a good position against Murasakibara. After receiving a pass form Izuki, Kiyoshi jumped to try to score. Murasakibara was quick to react; however, and jumped to block it. Kiyoshi then brought the ball down and shot underhanded. Murasakibara was still able to block it, but the rebound landed in Izuki's hands. Kiyoshi then quickly moved to three point line and shot a three making it. Ryuto laughed a little, impressed that Kiyoshi made the shot. On Yosen's offense it was Tatsuya versus Ryuto both stared at each other for a moment.

"I know you're holding back your Zone." Tatsuya said. "I have a reason why." Ryuto responded. "If you don't use it, you might beat me, but you won't beat him." Tatsuya said pointing to Murasakibara. "It's a risk that I'm going to have to take." Ryuto said.

Tatsuya then set up for a shot, in a smooth motion, Ryuto was not able to react quick enough to be able to block it.

"Dammit!" Ryuto cursed aloud. "Don't worry about it, we're only getting started." Kiyoshi said. "We've taken enough precautions. Let's going to pierce the Shield of Aegis." Hyuga said.

Yosen was taken by surprise when they saw Kiyoshi at the helm, playing point guard. Tatsuya looked over at Ryuto with disbelief. He knew about Ryuto's ability to play point guard, so he was wonder why he was not playing it.

"In all honesty, point guard isn't my best position. I've always been a good small forward above all else." Ryuto said as if reading Tatsuya's mind.

Kiyoshi then drove forwards before suddenly stopping, causing Yosen's point guard to loose his balance; and not being able to recover. Murasakibara muttered something before yelling out Kiyoshi's name and jumping for a block. Kiyoshi then tucked in the ball and sent a pass to Ryuto, who was driving towards the basket. As Ryuto drove to the basket number 11 went to stop his forward advance. Ryuto then stopped and jumped to take a shot, but Murasakibara jumped behind him to block the shot. Ryuto smiled, he threw the ball against the backboard and Kiyoshi jumped up to grab it and proceeded to dunk. On Seirin's next offensive possession, they ran the same formation as before. Kiyoshi passed to Tsuchida, who passed back to Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi then jumped for a shot, Murasakibara hesitated for a moment before jumping too. But Kiyoshi ducked the ball and passed to Izuki. Izuki then set up for a shot, but was defend by Yosen's captain and number 11. Izuki also ducked the ball and passed to Hyuga, who shot an open three; making it. Ryuto looked towards the scoreboard, it was 27-38; they were still behind, but only by a little. After that shot, Yosen took a timeout in order to regroup. As Ryuto sat down he caught a glimpse of Murasakibara's expression, he was clearly pissed off. As he sat down, Furihata gave him a water bottle and a towel, he thanked him and proceeded to drink.

"How are you feeling?" the coach asked. "Fine. Tatsuya hasn't changed much. Still can't block him though. I never could honestly. His fundamentals are greater than mine." Ryuto explained.

He then turned to see Kagami handing Kuroko something. After seeing what it was, he knew Kagami was ready to play without holding back. After the timeout ended, Kagami was substituted for Ryuto.

"I'll leave you to settle the score." Ryuto said. "I will." Kagami said as he walked onto the court.

He then turned to Kuroko, who was staring at the necklace that Kagami had given him. Ryuto frowned, Kagami still had not changed since he as younger.

"You're not going to throw it out are you?" Ryuto asked. "It's important to him, and it holds a lot of memories, it seems wrong to throw it out." Kuroko said putting the necklace in his bag. "Good. Taiga's just being stubborn." Ryuto said with a smile.

Ryuto turned to the game and saw that Tatsuya and Kagami were face to face, each of them showed their intensity.

"That was quick." Ryuto said aloud to no one.

Tatsuya then set up for a shot, but Kagami was able to notice it was a fake. Tatsuya then dropped the ball for a dribble and Kagami followed. But that was also a fake and Tatsuya once again set up for a shot. As he jumped, Kagami was able to react fast enough to push the ball out of Tatsuya's hands before he could release. Izuki recovered the ball before it went out of bounds and passed to Kagami, who darted down the court. He then jumped from the free throw line for a dunk. Ryuto could see a slight jerk of his hand before Murasakibara blocked it causing him to fall. Ryuto looked over to Kuroko, who noticed the motion too. _Was he trying to do what he has been learning with Alex?_ Ryuto wondered. After checking if Kagami was okay, the game resumed. Kiyoshi received the ball, only to find that he was being triple teamed. Holding on to the ball fro too long caused Kiyoshi to loose it from a swat by Yosen's captain. Number 5 recovered and passed to Tatsuya, who was already running down the court. Kagami was able to keep up, but before he could jump to block his shot, he slipped. After a moment, Kagami jumped and was able to graze the ball causing it to miss. He was able to recover the rebound and passed to Kiyoshi; who was once again triple teamed. He found an opening and passed to Izuki. After analyzing his options, he took a shot. The ball bounce off the back of the rim and Murasakibara jumped up confident he was going to get the ball, Kiysohi was the one to grab it and jammed it back in. As Kiyoshi jogged back to defense, Ryuto could see something was not right. Kiyoshi then suddenly began to fall. Both Ryuto and Kuroko managed to stop his fall, and the referee blew his whistle to stop the game. Kiyoshi reassured everyone that he was fine and that he could continue. Plus he did not want to break the current flow Seirin had. The coach ultimately agreed and Kiysohi returned to play. When he turned, Ryuto placed his hand on Kiyoshi's shoulder stopping him.

"Don't push yourself. You're already exhausted, and it's getting to you." Ryuto said. "Like I said, I'm fine. By the way you weren't kidding when you said you were observant." Kiyoshi said returning to the game.

Ryuto let out a sigh and sat down on the bench.

"He's stubborn." Ryuto said. "And you're not?" the coach said. "More so than me, and that's saying something." Ryuto said.

After a series of passes, Seirin once again scored lessening Yosen's lead to 5 points. Ryuto then felt a surge of pressure. He turned to see Muraskaibara walking towards offense. As he made it there, he seemed to only radiate power and strength. Ryuto reeled back slightly, he had only felt this type of pressure once before and it was with a teammate during middle school. He could see everyone on the court was either surprised or terrified at Murasakibara's appearance.

"Things just got a whole lot harder." Ryuto said aloud and summing up everyone's fears.

Kuroko then explained that Murasakibara was better at offense than defence. Stating that when he gets frustrated in a game, he'll play. He then said that Murasakibara scored one hundred points in a game. Everyone mouths dropped open in surprise, not expecting what Kuroko had said.

"Okay, so we're playing against a second Wilt Chamberlain. That doesn't make things any easier." Ryuto said.

As soon as Murasakibara positioned himself for offense; Kiyoshi, Hyuga and Mitobe all guarded him. But based on Murasakibara's expression, he seemed unfazed; he only looked angrier. He then began move back taking all three with them. Ryuto could only watch in horror as he easily pushed everyone back.

"I can't even imagine what his full strength is." Ryuto said aloud. "Wait that's not his full strength?" Furihata asked fearfully. "No it isn't. Murasakibara-kun holds back his full strength due to fearing that he could hurt others, due to it." Kuroko explained. "I didn't that was the reason. This guy is on a whole other level." Ryuto said turning back to the game.

After posting up, Murasakibara received a pass. He then jumped and spun around, dunking the ball. The force caused the three guarding him to fall on the floor. As he landed, he taunted the three of them saying he was not expecting them to fall so easily. Kiyoshi then inbounded the ball, passing it to Izuki, who darted down the court. Then Murasakirbara's giant shadow loomed over him. Ryuto was just as surprised as everyone at his speed, no doubt his long legs helped. Murasakibara then passed Izuki and set up for defense. Izuki then passed to Kiyoshi for him to play point guard. When he received the ball, he was no longer being triple teamed. Kiyoshi then drove towards the basket, he then stopped a few feet in front of Murasakibara and jumped to shoot. Murasakibara jumped as well to block. Izuki then ran towards the basket asking for a pass. Kiyoshi dropped the ball in order to pass, but the ball was swatted away by Murasakibara. Number 5 then grabbed the ball and sprinted down the court. He then stopped and alley-ooped it to Murasakibara. Before he could dunk, Kagami jumped to try to block him. However, it was pointless, Murasakibara jammed the ball in with such force Kagami fell to the ground hard. The basket then began to creak, and finally it snapped and fell to the ground. Everyone had a fearful look on their face, not expecting for Murasakibara to have such force. Ryuto could only stare, he had seen his fair share of overwhelming strength, but nothing compared to the giant. After the hoop was replaced, no one could stop Murasakibara. He score point after point, even being able to do Vice Claw; Kiyoshi's one handed rebound. Ryuto gritted his teeth, he began to wonder if it was even possible to beat someone like Muraskaibara.

 _I remember being the tallest at the beginning of middle school. I remember using that to my advantage. Compared to this guy, I'm just an insect_ Ryuto thought.

Riko turned to see Ryuto's fearful expression. She then moved her hand to interlock with his, his hand seemed cold to her touch. It was clear that he was scared.

"I've never been more terrified in my whole life, until his moment." Ryuto said affirming her suspicions. "I've never seen you like this." Riko responded. "This guy is just brute strength greater than Taiga's. That's why I'm terrified." Ryuto explained. "I think we all are." Riko said closing the gap between them a bit.

Ryuto turned back to the game to see Kiyoshi struggling to get up. The coach's shifted from worry to Ryuto to worry for Kiyoshi. Then a hand appeared to help Kiyoshi stand. Ryuto then noticed it was not a friendly gesture, it was Murasakibara pulling him up. He then taunted him for his attitude towards basketball, saying that his efforts were for naught. Hyuga then went over to help Kiyoshi, but Murasakibara let go saying that he was only helping Kiyoshi. The coach then finally decided to pull Kiyoshi out, she chose Kuroko to take his place. As he made his way to the bench, Kiyoshi apologized to Kuroko and saying that he leaved the rest to him. Kuroko then walked towards Murasakibara saying that he was going to beat him in Kiyohsi's place. Then the buzzer sounded again signaling another change. Everyone looked towards the bench and saw Ryuto walking onto the court. He high-fived Mitobe and walked onto the court. He made his way to Murasakibara and stared straight into his eyes.

"People like you, makes my blood boil." Ryuto said with his eyes turing a stormy grey color. "If you try to beat me, I'll crush you both." Murasakibara threatened.

The referee then blew his whistle and the game continued. Kuroko received a pass and drove towards the basket. Number 11 moved to stop his advance, but Kuroko used his Vanishing Drive to continue forwards. Then Murasakibara moved in to stop his advance. Kuroko stopped and set up for his Phantom Shot, but Murasakibara was blocking the path of the shot by covering the hoop. Kuroko then released his shot, but instead of shooting his alley-ooped it to Kagami, who scored a dunk. Kagami then turned to Muraskaibara saying that he could not break the hoop. Ryuto smiled, knowing that a game like this got Kagami's blood boiling as well. On Yosen's next offense, Murasakibara positioned himself, but instead of having someone else to defend him Kuroko was the one defending him. Murasakibara began to push back with ease, it was like Kuroko was not even there. Number 5 then passed to Murasakibara, but as he turned to score he knocked Kuroko down, drawing a charging foul. On the inbound, Izuki passed to Hyuga. He then drove down the court, but was stopped by Yosen's captain. Hyuga then used his Barrier Jumper and shot a three, making it. On the inbound, Seirin switched to a full court man to man defense. Ryuto was in charged of cover the inbounder, while the others found a mark. Number 11 then passed to number 5 who drove down the court. As Yosen drove down the court, Seirin was constantly switching marks. Number 5 then passed towards Murasakibara, but Kuroko was able to get a steal. He then set up for his Phantom Shot, and made it. With the third quarter winding down, it was 4 point game. As Yosen inbounded, Seirin kept up with the full court man to man defense. Number 5 then tried to drive towards the basket, but Kuroko manage to swat the ball away. Izuki recovered it and released the ball. It entered the hoop, but the referee called that it went in after the timer ran out. Izuki looked defeated, but Kagami managed to reassure him. On the bench the team began to discuss the game plan. Kagami then suggested that they should also run a 2-3 Zone, like Yosen, on defense with him in the middle. Everyone began to question if he could do it, Ryuto swatted him on the back of the head.

" _You're an idiot Taiga._ " Ryuto said. "What was that for?!" Kagami yelled. "For thinking you could do something like that." Ryuto answered. "Do you have any better ideas?" Kagami asked frustrated. "Yes. We'll run a 1-2-2. One person at the three point line. Two on the free throw line and the second block. Finally two at the bottom." Ryuto explained. "Let's give Kagami-kun's idea a try first and if it doesn't work out, then we'll do yours." The coach bargained. "Fine with me. I still think it's a bad idea." Ryuto said.

The team then began to discuss how everything was going to work. Hyuga then looked over to Kiyoshi asking if he had any input. He was taken by surprise when he saw Kiyoshi crying. Ryuto raised an eyebrow, wondering what brought his teammate to tears. Then a commotion formed around Kiyoshi, and all Ryuto could do was smile. The five that were going to play stood up and walked onto the court. Kuroko then stopped them saying that they should form a circle again. After giving his reasoning, the team formed the circle and called out their chant. Then the five walked onto the court to play the final quarter. Ryuto saw both Kuroko and Kagami face their rivals, he knew they were tell each of them the same thing.

 _I wish I had a rival right about now_ Ryuto thought.

Yosen then inbounded the ball to start the fourth and final quarter. When Yosen set up for offense, they were surprised to see 2-3 Zone formation that Seirin was using. The two at the top were Hyuga and Izuki, while behind them was Kuroko and Ryuto, with Kagami in the middle. Number 5 moved dribbled a ball a bit before setting up for a shot. As he released, everyone realized that it was not a shot, in fact it was an alley-oop to Murasakibara. Kagami tried to block, but Murasakibara did a backwards dunk and the force threw Kagami to the floor. Murasakibara said that it was hopeless for Kagami to stop him alone, with Kagami responding that he was not going to loose. On Yosen's next inbound, Seirin set up for the full court man to man defense. After passing it to Tatsuya, Yosen sprinted down the court; leaving Kagami to play one-on-one against Tatsuya. Faking to left, Tatsuya moved to the right, leaving a surprised Kagami behind. As he dribbled down the court, Murasakibara yelled out for him to stop; which he managed to do and narrowly avoiding Kuroko's steal. As Tatsuya surveyed Seirin's 2-3 Zone, his pressure seemed to increase. He then faked a pass and drove to the basket, leaving Hyuga behind. Kagami then stepped in to stop him, but Tatsuya stopped and set up for a shot. Kagami hesitated for a second and then jumped.

 _The trick behind that shot is his release. Despite it defying the laws of physics, I'm sure he can release on the first shot_ Ryuto thought.

And Tatsuya did just that, he released the ball on the first release; the ball entered the hoop scoring another point. As he landed, Tatsuay boasted saying that no one could touch the Mirage Shot. On Seirin's next offensive possession, Kuroko released his Phantom Shot, but missed.

 _Crap, our offense isn't working_ Ryuto thought.

As he returned to defense, he caught a glimpse of Kaijo watching the game from the sidelines. He then smiled he had an idea. Yosen the scored another dunk with Murasakibara furthering their lead. With about six minutes and a half remaining, the score gap had increased to nine. As the team gathered to figure out a strategy, they looked towards Kagami, who was panting in exhaustion.

"Guys, Taiga might not have a plan. I do though." Ryuto said. "Is it the defense you suggested during the quick intermission?" Kuroko asked. "No. On offense, give me the ball. I score us a couple points." Ryuto said walking away to set up for offense.

"Why does Ryutocchi look so confident?" Kise asked. "He always has a plan. He's smarter than he looks, no doubt figured out a plan, just by watching everything." Kasamatsu said. "You give him a lot of credit captain." Kise said. "He deserves it. You can tell just how much the team trusts him to make tough decisions on the court. That type of thinking is only found in a captain." Kasamatsu said. "Was Ryutocchi a captain?" Kise asked.

In the stands, Aomine and Satsuki were discussing the game saying that if Seirin did not think of something they were going to loose.

"I bet Ryuto's thinking about the Zone, or maybe Kagami is." Aomine said. "Huh?" Satsuki asked. "Ryuto said during our game that for him entering the Zone was easy, now he's holding it back. As for Kagami, I could see the allure of the power Ryuto had on him. I'm sure he's trying to find the trigger to get in." Aomine explained. "Why is Ryuto holding back I wonder?" Satsuki asked.

Aomine then stared hard at Ryuto, recalling what he had said to him about his Zone.

 _Flashback_

During one of Kuroko's training session, Ryuto and Aomine were watching each of them trying to avoid to talk.

"What did you mean by the Zone was easy for you to enter?" Aomine asked breaking the silence. "It just is. I just push that door open and I'm in without a problem. Getting to the second door is the problem, its like if it's rejecting me before I can even make it to it. Its pushing me so hard that I'm forced out of the Zone. I guess you could say that every time I use it, I'm in it for less amount of time. Until I can figure out a way to open the second door with just as much ease." Ryuto explained.

After his explanation, Ryuto walked out to Kuroko to give him advice on his shooting. Aomine stared at Ryuto processing his explanation.

 _A way to figure out hoe to enter easily_ Aomine thought.

 _End Flashback_

Aomine then turned back to the game, to see Ryuto receiving the ball. As Ryuto received it, Tatsuay was in front of him.

" _Let see if you can stop me Tatsuya._ " Ryuto said with a smile. " _Even if you get past me, there's still the one behind me._ " Tatsuya said. "Who are you talking about?" Ryuto asked.

He then crossed over to his left and disappeared from in front of Tatsuya. When he reappeared, the ball was bouncing off the backboard and into the hoop. Ryuto turned to face Murasakibara and Tatsuya, they both had a shocked looked on their face.

"Sorry I took so long. I've been holding back so I could rest up." Ryuto said.

Ryuto's eyes flicked for a moment and then it disappeared. As he jogged back to defense, everyone was wondering if Ryuto had entered the Zone. On Yosen's offensive possession, they returned the favor, with a dunk form Number 4. Then the buzzer sounded with the referee calling a time out for Seirin. As the team walked off the court, Ryuto wondered where Riko and Kiyoshi went, but dismissed the thought. Koga then said that he had a message from the coach, that Kuroko, Hyuga and Izuki were to triple team Tatsuya and the Ryuto and Kagami were to handle the inside. By doing this, they reduced the space where Kagami had to defend by himself.

"Well looks like I'm running my ass up and down the court." Ryuto sighed.

Hyuga then said that with them triple teaming it left the inside really open, with Izuki agreeing. Kagami then apologized for not being able to do what Murasakibara could do and said that he would concentrate on the paint. As the buzzer signaled the end of the timeout, everyone wonder what had changed with Kagami.

"Kagami-kun seems like himself now." Kuroko said. "Lets just hope he doesn't exhaust himself more than he already is." Ryuto said.

On Yosen;'s offense, Kagami jumped to block Number 4's shot. Instead he made him miss and Murasakibara followed up with a dunk.

"You could at least try to defend me." Murasakibara said to Ryuto. "I would, but I like not having any broken bones." Ryuto said walking away.

On Seirin's offense, Izuki tried to send a pass, but it was intercepted by Murasakibara. He then sprinted down the court with Kagami right behind him. Murasakibara then jumped to dunk, but Kagami was able to block him and knock the ball away. Ryuto recovered it and scored a solo lay up. Ryuto then looked back and saw the lightning in Kagami's eyes. He smiled and yelled out: "It took you long enough!" On Yosen's offense, everyone felt Kagami's pressure. Tatsuya then called out for a pass. When he received it, he managed to out maneuvered all three of his defenders with ease using his fakes. Kagami then moved in to stop him, with his increased power, he jumped at the same time as Tatsuya. As Tatsuay released his second release, Kagami swatted the ball down and Kuroko recovered it. As he drove down the court, Kagami called out for a pass. Kagami received it behind the three point line and shot a three. He turned to return to defense even before the ball entered the hoop. Ryuto scoffed as he highfived his friend.

"Showoff." Ryuto said.

All Kagami could do was smile, taking Ryuto's words as a compliment. On Yosen's offense, the ball was passed to Murasakibara, he then jumped and spun, clearly at full power, Ryuto could feel the pressure and he was not close to it. Kagami the jumped and stopped Murasakibara's momentum. He was then able to push the ball out of his hands. Ryuto the recovered the ball and scored a lay up, once again solo. On Yosen's offense, Kuroko managed to steal the ball and passed it to Kagami. As he darted down the court, Tatsuya moved in to stop him. However; Kagami faked going right and went to the left, similar to Tatsuya's fakes. Murasakibara then moved in to stop him, Kagami jumped form the free throw line followed by Murasakibara. Instead the first one to start falling was Murasakibara and Kagami dunked the ball.

"Ha! Just like Jordan!" Ryuto yelled out with a smile.

Then the buzzer rang with the referee saying that Yosen called a time out. On the bench Koga began to exclaim that they could win. The coach shot him down saying that anything could change. Ryuto then turned to Kagami and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"How does it feel?" Ryuto asked. "Awesome." Kagami said quietly. "You were wondering how to get in and what it was, now you know." Ryuto said. "Is that why you were holding back, so I could get in?" Kagami asked. "Wow, that was extremely self centered. To answer your question no, I have my own reasons why and I believe I explained why." Ryuto answered.

When the team walked back onto the court, they noticed the Yosen seemed to fighting about something. Kuroko, however; said whateverthey were fighting about had the opposite effect of what one might think. All Ryuto noticed was that Murasakibara had tied his hair back and had a very determined look on his face.

"Look alive, these last two minutes are going to be intense." Ryuto said. "Right!" the four others said in unison.

Murasakibara then walked up to Kuroko and the two began to talk. Kuroko had said that it looked like Murasakibara had given up, with Murasakibara responding that he changed his mind. Then the game resumed, with Kuroko, Izuki, and Huyga once again triple teaming Tatsuya. Tatsuya then received a screen and moved away. Kuroko managed to keep up and stop Tatsuya from advancing, but he faked a shot and drove. Then Kagami moved in to defend, Tatsuay stopped to take a shot and Kagami jumped to block. Tatsuya and Kagami exchanged a few words in the air, before Tatsuya brought down the ball and passed to Murasakibara. Murasakibara then jumped for a dunk and Ryuto did not even try to jump knowing it was futile. Kagami then appeared to block Murasakibara from dunking. Murasakibara then yelled that he was not going to loose and he brought down the ball and passed to Tatsuya and scored a lay up. On offense, Izuki and Kagami switched positions and Kagami was not the point guard. Ryuto smiled and watched as Kagami easily passed Number 5, he then passed to Kuroko who alley-ooped it and Kagami dunked. It was the same on the next possession, Kagami passed to Izuki who went up for a lay up, but Murasakibara loomed over to block. Izuki then passed the ball backwards to Kagami, who dunked again. Ryuto looked towards the scoreboard, there was a minute left, and it was a scramble to see who could score the most points. Meanwhile, Seirin was behind in points 72-68; it was only four, but it was difficult to score and not have the favor returned. The ball then went out of bounds, and the buzzer sounded for a member change. As Seirin turned, seeing who was going into the game brought a smile to their faces. Knowing that he was going to be switched out, Ryuto walked to the sideline. Ryuto smiled and higfived Kiyoshi then walked towards the bench. before sitting down, he turned to Kiysohi.

"Finish this." Ryuto said.

Kiyoshi gave Ryuto a determined smile and walked onto the court. As he sat down Ryuto grabbed a water bottle and a towel and let out a sigh.

"Things aren't gonna get an easier." Ryuto said. "Seeing Teppei gave them the hope they needed." the coach responded.

Yosen then inbounded the ball and Number 5 surveyed the defense. Seirin had returned to the defense they had at the beginning of the game and with Kiyoshi back, there was new type of pressure on the court. Number 5 then passed to Tatsuya who drove to the basket, he then jumped for a shot but turned it into a pass. Murasakibara received it and jumped for a dunk. However; instead of Kiyoshi jumping to defend, Kagami moved to block. But Muraskaibara also passed and the ball was received by Tatsuya, with Kiyoshi blocking him. Tatsuay then moved to shoot, with everyone getting worried that Kiyoshi was not going to be able to block it. _I'm pretty sure he can_ Ryuto thought. Everyone noticed that Kiysohi had faked a jump on the first release and Hyuga jumped to block the shot on the second release. Kuroko then picked up the loose ball and passed to Izuki and now Seirin was on offense. Izuki then passed to Kagami, who drove past everyone. Before making it to Murasakibara, he set up for a jump shot. However; he missed and Yosen moved in to grab it, but Kiyoshi used his one handed rebound. After landing he passed to Hyuga who scored a three. As Seirin set for defense, Ryuto looked closely at Murasaibara. He was stationary at the opposite free throw line. Ryuto's eyes then widened and he stood up in surprise.

"What's wrong?" the coach asked. "Impossible. He shouldn't be able to." Ryuto answered with a tone of disbelief.

During the in bound, Seirin once again did their full court man to man defense. Yosen was having trouble getting open, but the captain managed to break free and received the pass. He then threw the ball down the court, with Tatsuya receiving it. He then faked going left and went right. He then set up for a shot, but Kagami was there to block it. But the shot turned into a pass, which was directed to Murasakibara. Murasakibara then jumped to dunk, but Kagami managed to keep up and placed both hands on the ball to stop him. But Murasakibara's strength was too great and he was pushing Kagami down. Kiyoshi then placed his hand on the block too, after a fight in the air, the ball was pushed out of Murasakibara's hands. Hyuga then grabbed the ball and passed to Izuki and they drove down the court. Murasakibara then sprinted down the court and got ahead of everyone, much to their surprise. _But how? I thought he didn't have the most basic component to enter?_ Ryuto thought. He then began to wonder if Kagami could keep up even with the little Zone that he had left. Kagami then let out a yell and jumped from the free throw line. However; his for was not for a dunk. As he reached closer to the hoop, Kagami and Murasakibara began to descend. Kagami let out another yell and threw the ball at the basket with full force. The shot took everyone by surprise even Ryuto's mouth was hanging in surprise. His surprise the morphed into a smile. _Once again, you surpassed me_ Ryuto thought. With that shot, Seirin managed to take the lead with four seconds left. Everyone began to celebrate the possibility of victory, but Ryuto could not shake the uneasy feeling he had. His feeling proved to be right, as Murasakibara sprinted down the court, with Tatsuya throwing the ball down the court. Everyone ran as fast as they could to keep up, but without Kagami Murasakibara was too far ahead. As Murasakibara went up to to jump, his legs gave out and was not able to jump. Ryuto could see the surprised look on his face at the fact he could not jump. He then positioned the ball to take a shot, but Kuroko came from behind and blocked Murasakibara leaving everyone in shock. All Ryuto could do was pull back the hair on his forehead. As the ball landed the buzzer sounded and Seirin had won. As the teams lined up to bow, Ryuto looked over to Kaijo. Kasamatsu send him a nod of acknowledgment and Kise gave him a thumbs up. Ryuto nodded back as if saying: "You better win." Ryuto then turned back to the court. He could see Tatsuya and Kagami talking, he knew what they had agreed on. Ryuto could only sigh knowing it a stupid promise, but decided against talking about it. Ryuto then walked over to Tatsuya, he had to talk to him.

"Is that really the end for the two of you?" Ryuto asked. "It was the promise we made." Tatsuya answered. "I won't say anything about it, but think carefully about it." Ryuto said. "What's there to think about?" Tatsuya asked. "Just do it. Besides that, it was fun to play against you again, brought back some memories." Ryuto said. "Same goes for me." Tatsuya said. "Let's play again sometime." Ryuto said extending his hand. "Definitely." Tatsuya responded shaking his friends hand.

Ryuto then turned back to his team as they walked off the court. They headed to the stands to watch Kaijo's game against a team Ryuto did not know about. As they walked towards the stands, Ryuto turned his head back to see Kagami sprinting towards an exit saying thank you to Kuroko. Ryuto smiled, looks like he did not need to talk to Kagami after all.

"Nice job." Ryuto said. "What do you mean?" Kuroko asked. "With Taiga. I was trying to say the same thing to Tatsuya earlier." Ryuto answered. "Is that so." Kuroko said. "But whatever, thats between them. Let's talk about you for a sec." Ryuto said smiling and placing an arm around Kuroko's shoulder and giving him a noogie. "Stop that Ryuto-kun, it hurts." Kuroko said.

Ryuto kept laughing while Kuroko struggled to get out of Ryuto's grip. The moment of levity was necessary for what was to come.

 **AN: Here ends this chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one. Once again I apologize for the delay, I'll try to get a new chapter out as soon as I can; but as I said before, I'm on a trip and might not find time to write. With that out of the way, I have more or less how this story is going to end. Once the the main story ends, I have some extra chapter planned and the final chapter will lead into this story's sequel; the crossover with the Flarrowverse. Remember to review, follow, and/or favorite if you haven't already. Stay tuned for the next chapter as well.**


	18. Chapter 18

**AN: Here is chapter 18. This took some time due to personal reason and I apologize in advance for its shortness. Besides that, I hope you enjoy this chapter(in my opinion its probably the best chapter I've named so far). Remember I do NOT own KnB, I only own my character.**

Chapter 18

Kise vs. Haizaki

Before heading to watch Kaijo's game, the coach said that the magazine, Basketball Monthly, wanted an interview. Everyone was shocked at the announcement not expecting the event. Kagami then asked what kinds of questions they would ask, with the coach responding with; what were aspirations after Winter Cup and how they felt about the game. Hyuga then summarized everyones feelings about being nervous. Kiyoshi then said to act natural, that going in tense was bad, with the coach agreeing. When walking out of the locker room, they were met by two reporters. The one's that played in the game met with them including the coach. The reporters began to take pictures of the team together.

"They haven't been able to relax at all." Koga said. "Ryuto-kun seems to be the most relaxed out of all them." Tsuchida added.

The first reporter spoke congratulating the team for a good game. The coach began to speak really quickly, thanking them and the honor it was to be interviewed by them. The reporter then said that it was impressive that team of primarily first and second years have made it so far. Hyuga also thanked them for the compliment. The second reporter then put down the camera asking which game was the most memorable. After hesitating for a moment, Hyuga said that the game against Shutoku was the most memorable. Everyone's minds flashed back to that game. As Ryuto began to reminisce, he could only think about when he became detached from everyone. Kiyoshi then said that even if the game ended with a draw, both teams played like themselves. The reporter then turned to Izuki, who commented on Izuki's Eagle Eye. Izuki responded with a pun saying that many people form Uruguay have it. Ryuto fought the urge to face palm and slap him for making a pun in the middle of an interview.

"How about you, Ryuto-kun?" the reporter asked turing to the grey haired boy.

Ryuto quelled the urge to thank the reporter for calling him by his first name. He then took a deep breath and responded.

"If we're still on the the topic of memorable games, I would have to say the game against Tōō was defiantly the most memorable for me." Ryuto said. "Care to elaborate?" the reporter asked. "Well I have a preexisting relationship with one of their members. I made a promise with him that whenever we met in an official game I would play with everything I had." Ryuto answered. "And who might that person be?" the reporter urged. "The former ace of the Generation of Miracles, Aomine Daiki. I've known him since I was little and I told him the next time we met, would be in a match." Ryuto answered. "Care to comment on coming back after your injury?" the reporter asked. "I was just anxious to get back to play once it healed." Ryuto answered with a smile. "You're a natural at this Ryuto-kun." the reporter said. "Thanks, I guess." Ryuto said placing a hand behind his head.

The reporter then moved to Kagami and asked him the same question. He then turned to the coach to clarify anything about him. The coach answered that Kagami's best game was the one against Yosen. The reporter turned back to Kagami and asked him about Murasakibara. Kagami responded that he would the next time they played. The reporter turned to Mitobe and every time he asked him a question, Koga would answer the question. The reporter thanked everyone for their time, but the second reporter said not to leave out Kuroko's comments. The two then turned to the blue haired boy as if he was there the whole time. Ryuto raised an eyebrow, but dismissed the possibility. The reporter then said that Kuroko is a vital support for the team, citing the match against Shutoku, Kirisaki Dai Ichi, Tōō, and Yosen as examples. Kuroko responded that he played at full strength during those games.

After the interview the team began to head to the stands to watch the match the Kaijo was about to have. When Ryuto sat in the stands, he watched Kaijo practice. He watched as Kise dunked. As he observed, he could see Kise felt either uneasy or restless about the match.

"What is up with Blondie?" Ryuto asked out loud. "Why do you ask Ryuto-kun?" Kuroko responded. "Kise seems uneasy." Ryuto said. "It doesn't seem that way to me." Kuroko said. "He's masking it with calm. I can see it in his movements. He's facing a team that has nothing alarming." Ryuto said. "Perhaps you're right Ryuto-kun." Kuroko said.

Ryuto then saw Kise slightly jerk his leg. Ryuto narrowed his gaze at Kise. _Could this be why he's uneasy? Worried about an injury?_ Ryuto thought. He then watched as Kise jogged off the court and into a dark hallway. A few moments later Kise walked back onto the court and Koga was calling out to Kagami. As he sat down, Ryuto could see Kagami's usual scowl, but it was different this time. Kagami then asked Kuroko if he knew someone called Haizaki. Kuroko then asked how he knew that name, with Kagami responding that he just met him. Kuroko then explained who he was, a former starter from Teiko; before they began to be called the Generation of Miracles. He then said that he was selfish and uncontrollable, but even with that he was strong. Ryuto then turned to the court, where the game was about to begin. Ryuto saw how Kise and Haizaki look at each other; it was pure disgust. Haizaki then turned to his teammates, Ryuto could not hear what he had said, but based on the teams reactions it was not something nice. _Even Kasamatsu noticed it, this guy must be the real deal if even the captain submits to him_ Ryuto thought. Hyuga began to explain how everyone treated members of the Generation of Miracles, but Ryuto zoned out his speech and studied everything that was going on on the court. Ryuto could tell that this match meant a lot for Kise, it was like his pride was on the line. Ryuto knew that type of determination, he had seen it in others before. Except Haizaki's face was wild and unpredictable, Ryuto could not get a good read on him; until the game started that is. Ryuto then saw Kasamatsu walk over to Kise and he elbowed him in the stomach, Ryuto's eye's widened and blinked in surprise; it seemed to calm Kise down though. A few moments later, the teams set up for the jump ball. Once the ball was thrown, Kaijo was the first to have possession. The was given to Kasamatsu, as Fukuda's captain moved in to defend him. With a few crossovers, Kasamatsu got away from him and drove. Ryuto smiled, he knew his friend would have gotten better since the last time he saw him. Kasamatsu then pass behind him to Kobori, who passed it back to Kasamatsu. Kasamtsu then jumped up to score an open lay up. Fukuda then inbounded the ball and it was given to the captain. Haizaki then called out for the ball and drove towards the basket. After getting away from Kasamtsu with ease, Kise moved to defend him. Haizaki then stopped his forwards movement for a moment, causing Kise to continue before stopping. Haizaki took the opening and drove to the basket, while forcefully moving everyone out of the way; including his teammates. He then jumped for a dunk, but was blocked by Kise.

"What is this guy, some kind of wild animal?" Ryuto asked a loud. "You could say that." Kuroko answered. "I don't like those types of people." Ryuto muttered to himself.

Ryuto watched as the ball rolled out of bounds, and it was given to Fukuda. Haizaki then moved towards number 7 and slapped him across the face. Ryuto was left in shock, doing something like that to your senior. He watched as no one challenged him, or said anything against it. Ryuto clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, after meeting Hanamiya he could never imagine someone as vile as him, but after seeing Haizaki act for less than five minutes Ryuto put him above Hanamiya in that regard. _This guy only cares about himself. He doesn't care what happens to others_ Ryuto thought. After the ball was inbounded, Kobori managed to slap the ball way and Kasamatsu recovered it. He then drove towards the basket, but Haizaki moved in front of him to defend him. Kasamtsu then began to do crossovers, and using an opening in Haizaki's stance he dribbled the ball through his legs and continued on. Kasamatsu then jumped for a layup, but Haizaki managed to recover fast enough to jump to block the shot. Kasamatsu then brought down the ball and passed to Kise, who dunked. Ryuto let out a small laugh and a smile formed on his face. _I could tell he was saying something to him. Knowing Kasamatsu, it was no doubt something about respecting your seniors_ Ryuto thought. Turning back to the game, Fukuda was quick to go on the offensive. The was inbounded to number 4, who passed to number 11. He then drove towards the basket, with Hayakawa moving in to defend him. Number 11 then stopped and shot the ball by throwing it underhanded, Izuki called it a scoop shot. The coach commented that even when not using Haizaki, Fukuda was a good team. Kagami then commented that Kise had not touched the ball a lot. Kuroko responded that it was coming. True to Kuroko's word, Kise was given the ball and he score using the scoop shot that number 11 had just used. On Fukuda's offensive possession, the ball was given to Haizaki and Kise met him face to face. Ryuto's eyes widened when he saw the move he used; it was the same one Kasamatsu had used on him. After shaking off Kise, Haizaki drove to the basket and dunked.

"So Haizaki and Kise have the same abilities?" Ryuto asked in astonishment.

He received no answer as the team continued to watch. This time it Haizaki that was guarding Kasamatsu. Kasamtsu drove towards the basket and followed suit with crossovers, but instead of driving past Haizaki, he passed to Moriyama. Moriyama then took a shot with the strangest form, he seemed to throw the ball underhanded and with two hands. Ryuto raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"It's kinda like Kuroko's shot with an unusual form." Koga said. "Actually it's not." Ryuto said. "What do you mean by that?" Izuki asked. "While they both don't put any spin on the ball, Kuroko's form you could say is closer to a regular release. Meanwhile that release is basically just throwing the ball upwards and hope you make it. Back in the States we called that type of shot, the _Granny Shot_." Ryuto explained.

The team then let out a snicker.

"How can you say that with a straight face?" Kagami asked. "That's because I don't have a straight face." Ryuto answered showing that he was holding back laughter.

Turing back to the game, Fukuda inbounded ball. The pass was meant for number 12, but Haizaki cut it off and drove towards the basket. Ryuto turned to see Hyuga saying that if Haizaki would have joined them he would have started with discipline. He then heard the coach saying that they should start right now. Ryuto shuddered and turned back to the game. Number 4 called for Haizaki to pass it back, but he did not a went for the same shot Moriyama did; and also made it. Moriyama had a face of astonishment, not believing his shot could be so easily mimicked.

"So I was right Kise and Haizaki do have similar abilities." Ryuto said. "No, it's slightly different." Kuroko said. "Huh" everyone said in unison.

As the game continued, Fukuda had the lead and there was four minutes left in the second quarter. On Kaijo's offense, Kasamatsu passed to Moriyama, he then tried to pass to Hayakawa; but Haizaki cut it off and scored a dunk. Once again Kasamatsu tried to do his drive, but once he pushed the ball in between the legs, number 4 caught it and drove to the basket and scored. _I see how it works. Haizaki changes the moves pace to better suit him, that creates some kind of effect on whoever used it. That effect is what I still don't understand. Is it something psychological?_ Ryuto thought.

"Or maybe I'm just thinking about it too much." Ryuto said. "Thinking about what?" the coach asked. "Nothing, just talking to myself." Ryuto answered nervously.

Soon everyone else began to notice something was off about Kaijo ever since Haizaki had copied their moves. If he studied a bit more Ryuto would be able to figure it out. On Kaijo's offense, Kise drove the ball down he court, but a little past half court, Haizaki stood in front of him. Kise then passed to Kobori, he then passed to Moriyama who took a wide open shot, however; the ball bounce off the rim leaving Moriyama surprised. As two Fukuda players jumped up to grab the rebound, Hayakawa jumped up with a loud screech, so loud even Ryuto could hear it, and grabbed the rebound. He then jumped back up and dunked the ball. Kiyoshi then explained how Hayakawa's jumping worked, that he his jumps were explosive meaning he can jump after other and still make it first. Turing back to the game, Kaijo was once again on offense. After Kobori missed a shot, number 12 boxed out Hayakawa not allowing him to jump. Haizaki then moved to rebound the ball using the same explosiveness as Hayakawa. He then passed to number 4, who after a short drive set up for a shot. The ball bounced off the back of the rim and Hayakawa jumped up to grab it, but using the same explosiveness as before Haizaki grabbed the ball first and dunked it. With a bit more then a minute left in the game, Fukuda was still in the lead. On Kaijo's offense, Kise got the ball and set up to face Haizaki. He then began to drove towards the basket with Haizaki gaining on him. Kise then spun around and scored a dunk. _That's the same move Taiga used way back. Looks like you kept it. Now I'm wondering if that was what you were going to do when I stopped the one-on-one?_ Ryuto thought. Turning back to the game, Haizaki did the same manuver and dunked on Kise. On Kaijo's offense, Moriyama once again did he irregular shot and once again he missed. _Once Haizaki copied their move, they can't use it anymore. There has to be something to it_ Ryuto thought. Kagami then asked Kuroko how the two were similar, with Kuroko responding about giving a brief explanation on Haizaki's attitudes during practice. He then explained how the two differed because Haizaki would change the rhythm or tempo of the move to suit him. _Exactly how I thought, but I feel a 'but' coming_ Ryuto thought. Kuroko then said that seeing the move in a different rhythm is what caused them be unable to use the move.

"Haizaki-kun doesn't copy, he pillages moves from others." Kuroko finished. "That's all the info I needed." Ryuto said. "Wait, what?" Hyuga said. "What did you figure out?" the coach asked. "I think I know a way of beating Haizaki's 'pillage' as you called it." Ryuto said. "How?" Izuki asked. "It's similar to Kise's in regards to copying, so that means he wouldn't be able to 'pillage' people like Kuroko or those of the Generation of Miracles." Ryuto explained. "But Kise can't copy the Generation of Miracles and Kuroko plays for us!" Kagami said ending his sentence with a yell. "You must not have been paying attention during the summer." Ryuto said turning to the game.

After few moments later the quarter ended and Fukuda was still in the lead. After halftime had ended, the game resumed and in only a few moments, Kaijo was being dominated by Haizaki; not even Kise could keep up. Kaijo being overpowered kept going even when the third quarter ended. Ryuto slouched against his seat, his mind was riddled with thoughts. _Being beaten this badly must really hurt one's morale. Even Blondie is hanging his head_ Ryuto thought. The buzzer then rand signaling the beginning of the fourth quarter. Kaijo started with the ball and Kasamatsu brought down the ball. He then passed to Kise, who was met by Haizaki. Kise had a determined look on his face. He then spun to get around Haizaki and jumped to dunk.

"He's an idiot." Ryuto muttered.

Haizki then jumped and swatted the ball with ease. Number 4 recovered the ball and drove down the court. He then passed to Number 11, as he received the ball Haizaki called out to give him the ball. But before he could give it to him, Haizaki swatted the ball out of his hands. Haizki then scored doing the same thing Kise was trying to do. Izuki then said that Fukuda had complete control, and Hyuga added he could not believe Haizaki was at the level he was at. Ryuto surveyed Kaijo, they were all exhausted and their morale was low; especially Kise's. Kagami pointed out what Ryuto was thinking and Kuroko agreed, saying that he was not expecting Kise to crumble. As the game progressed the coach said that Kise's weakness was probably because he was overworked. She continued by saying that Aomine was not the only one to have been injured during his game against Kise. she elaborated by saying the Kise started to work too hard before allowing himself to heal. Kagami then stood up saying that it was impossible for him to loose and that they made a promise.

"You've got to face the facts Taiga. Unless Kise can do something, Kaijo will loose." Ryuto said. "How can you say that?! Did you and Kise made a promise too?" Kagami argued. "I made a promise to Kasamatsu not Kise, but yes I would like to play both of them again. If we end up playing against Haizaki, trust me I'll make sure to crush him." Ryuto said with his eye's turning a stormy grey color.

As the game continued, Haizaki was once again able to score against Kise. As Kise stood up, he began to wince in pain from the injury on his ankle. _At least yours wasn't as bad as mine_ Ryuto thought. Haizaki then began to taunt Kise as he was on the floor, Ryuto could not hear what he was saying, but if the referee had to tell him to stop it was clearly a bit much. Ryuto then noticed Kuroko stand and smiled he knew where this was going.

"I believe in you Kise-kun!" Kuroko yelled out.

The crowd began to mutter as to who was the one that yelled, but Kise knew as he looked at Kuroko straight in the eyes. Kise then stood up and turned to Haizaki, the two exchanged words, but by the look on Kise's face he had found new determination. As Kaijo inbounded the ball, Kasamatsu passed to Kise and Fukuda ran back to defense. However; Kise stayed in the position he was and set up for a shot. Ryuto smiled: _He found it_. He then released and as the ball sailed everyone realized it as well, Kise had copied Midorima. As the ball entered the net, the crowed was sent into a frenzy, meanwhile Haizaki was stunned.

"This is what I was talking about." Ryuto said. "Since when was he able to do that?" the coach asked. "No doubt he discovered it when he was able to copy Aomine back in the summer." Ryuto answered.

With Kise's new awakened power, Kaijo shortened the lead. Kise then scored again, this time using Aomine's formless shot, they were now only seven points behind. On Fukuda's inbound, Haizki stole the pass meant for Number 4, he then drove to the basket using the scoop shot from Number 11. Using Murasakibara's defensive strength, Kise was able to block the shot. _He's only been using the moves for about two minutes and he's almost already worn out. Be carful how you use that power Blondie_ Ryuto thought. The ball was once again passed to Kise on Kaijo's offense and he score using Midorima's shot. Meanwhile Haizaki could only stand and watch as Kise was the one overpowering him now. On Fukuda's offense, Haizaki got the ball, his face was filled with rage. He then drove towards the basket stepping on Kise's injured foot in the process. _So that's what you're resorting to, since you can't stop him with your own strength. Pathetic_ Ryuto thought. Kise was still able to keep up and blocked Haizaki's shot. Kasamatsu recovered the loose ball and threw it to Kise. He caught it and drove down the court and then scored with a dunk. With that dunk the game ended, Kaijo had managed to comeback and defeat Fukuda; 75-72. Ryuto smiled glad his next opponent was not an asshole. Ryuto looked towards his team they all had serious expressions on their faces, knowing the next game was going to be difficult. Kise then tunred towards Kagami and Kuroko, he smiled at the fulfilling his promise. Seirin the stood up to leave. As they made their way to the lobby, Ryuto felt his phone buzz. He looked at the the name and sighed.

"Hey Satsuki. What's up?" Ryuto said.

She then began to talk really fast and really loud that Ryuto had to separate the phone from his ear. The team looked back at him and they all had them same face. Ryuto smiled nervously at them and put the phone back to his ear.

"I'm probably gonna end up leaving with Satsuki. So I have to meet up with her see you guys tomorrow." Ryuto said walking in the opposite direction of the team.

The team replied with their own goodbyes and walked away.

"Okay Satsuki, repeat everything you just said but slower." Ryuto said. "Dai-chan just disappeared and said to go home without him. So I called you wondering if you were coming back to the house or staying with Kagami-kun?" Satsuki said. "Okay, I'll go home with you. Where do you want to meet up?" Ryuto asked. "I'm near the south exit." She answered. "OK meet you there." Ryuto said hanging up.

Ryuto then groaned in frustration.

"Thats on the complete other side of the building." Ryuto said to himself.

"Wow you do talk to yourself." A voice said from behind.

Ryuto turned to see Kise and Kasamatsu standing behind, with the rest of Kaijo walking towards the exit.

"Oh hey guys." Ryuto said. "We play you next Ryutocchi." Kise said enthusiastically. "Yeah. Let's have a good match." Ryuto said. "I won't hold back." Kise said. "You can do whatever you want Blondie, but I will stop you." Ryuto said with a smile. "Don't too cocky. That just might bring you down." Kasamatsu said. "I'm not all the time. Mostly joking around." Ryuto said. "Well I wish you good luck against us." Kasamastsu said extending his hand. "Same goes to you. But I will win, I have some I have to beat waiting ahead." Ryuto said shaking Kasamatsu's hand. "Sorry but that's going to be us." Kise said. "We'll see Blondie. See you guys on the court." Ryuto said walking away.

As he walked away Ryuto smiled, knowing that the next game was probably going to be hard but it was also going to be fun.

"Now to find Satsuki. Wherever she is." Ryuto muttered.

 **AN: And here ends chapter 18. Once again I apologize for it's shotness, but when all that my character does is basically nothing its hard to make it longer. Anyways, some updates: brainstorming for the sequel to this story is pretty much done, it's going to be a crossover with the Flarrowverse. The last few chapter are going to have teases about what's going to happen in order for the sequel/crossover to occur, but I'm pretty sure most of you know what how its gonna go. Also I'm going to do some short one-shots with some ideas I have going through my head, so a lot more writing in my future. I leave you with that, I hope you enjoyed and stay tuned to the next part. It'll take some time, but I'll try to get it out as soon as I can. Remember to review, follow, and/or favorite if you're enjoying.**

 **Side note, I got the same injury my character had during a basketball practice the other day. It wasn't as severe but it still happened. Muse be karma.**


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: Here is chapter 19! I believe this and the last chapter are about two weeks apart, so I didn't have to make you guys wait too long. This chapter is the first semi-final match and you also get to see a bit more into Ryuto's family relationships especially with Akashi. Hope you enjoy this chapter and remember: I do NOT own KnB, I only know my character.**

Chapter 19

Semifinal First Game: Shutoku vs. Rakuzan

Ryuto woke up the morning after watching Kaijo make it to the semifinals. He squinted his eyes as the sun peered through the window. Using his arm to block the sun, he closed the blinds tighter and laid back down on the bed. He then let out a sigh and removed the blanket and stood up. As he stood he stretched by putting his arms in the air and letting out a loud yawn. He turned on the lights of his room and opened the closet. Grabbing a sweatshirt, he put it on his shirtless body and walked out the door towards the washing machine. He grabbed his uniform and entered his room once again. He then grabbed his bag and placed the uniform there along with an extra shirt. As he walked towards the kitchen, where his uncle was preparing breakfast.

"Morning Uncle." Ryuto said as he walked towards the refrigerator. "Good morning Ryuto." his uncle responded. "What are you making?" Ryuto asked pouring a glass of orange juice. "Pancakes. Decided to change things up this morning." his uncle answered. "Cool, I'll grab plates for the others. Where are Aunty and Satsuki?" Ryuto asked. "They should be getting ready." his uncle answered putting some of the made pancakes on the plate. "Well girls do take forever." Ryuto said shrugging. "I'm inclined to agree with you." his uncle replied with a smile.

Ryuto smiled back and placed three pancakes on his plate. As he began to eat, his aunt walked in saying good morning and grabbing some food as well; soon after Satsuki walked in too. The four of them sat together eating, while Ryuto's aunt and uncle kept talking about how it was impressive that Ryuto's team had made it all the way to the semifinals.

"We just played hard and won." Ryuto explained. "Speaking of which, your parents called." his aunt said. "Did they?" Ryuto said. "They said they're going to be visiting, I think they arrive later today or tomorrow morning." his aunt said. "Wait, they are?! Why didn't they tell me anything?!" Ryuto asked surprised. "It must be that they wanted to surprise you." his uncle responded. "Maybe." Ryuto said slumping back into his chair.

A few minutes later Ryuto finished his breakfast and placed his dishes in the sink. As he began to clean them, his aunt told him not to worry about them and that he should get ready. Nodding, Ryuto went to his room to change. He took off the sweatshirt and put on the teams sweatshirt also putting on the training pants. He put on his shoes and headed to the bathroom. After freshening up, he headed back to his room. He grabbed his bag and swung it over his shoulder. As he walked out of his room, he heard Satsuki talking on the phone, she then hung up and turned to Ryuto.

"Come on, Tetsu needs my help." Satsuki said grabbing a jacket. "Help with what?" Ryuto asked. "Shopping." she answered. "Other then analyzing basketball, that's the second thing you're good at." Ryuto said.

Ryuto said good bye to his aunt and uncle and walked out the door with Satsuki. As they walked, she called Aomine asking if she could borrow one of his pairs of shoes. Ryuto raised an eyebrow at the request, but went along with it.

"Could you at least try to brush your hair." Satsuki said with a frown. "You know better than anyone that however my hair is in the morning then that's how I leave." Ryuto said. "You could look a bit more presentable, you can barley see your eyes." Satsuki said. "Well I was thinking about cutting it…" Ryuto said trailing off. "Then why haven't you?" Satsuki asked. "Because, I like my hair long." Ryuto answered. "It reaches the back of your neck and almost covers your eyes. That's a bit excessive for a boy." Satsuki said. "Whatever." Ryuto said turning away from her.

The two continued to walk until they met up with Aomine. He had his usual bored expression, but nonetheless asked why Satsuki needed his shoes. As the three continued walking, Ryuto felt his phone buzz. He looked and the name and sighed; while mentally preparing himself at the same time.

"Hey Riko. What's up?" Ryuto asked. "Where the hell are you?! You better not be looking for shoes too?!" the coach yelled through the phones. "I'm with Satsuki right now, she has to deliver something, along with Aomine. To answer the second question no, I'm not buying shoes. Who's buying shoes?" Ryuto asked. "Kuroko-kun and Kagami-kun." the coach answered. "Hold on a sec." Ryuto said.

He put the phone away from his ear and covered the microphone.

"By any chance are we meeting up with either Kuroko or Taiga?" Ryuto asked. "Yes we are." Satsuki answered. "Aomine, what size shoe are you?" Ryuto asked. "29.5 cm." Aomine answered simply.

Ryuto sighed pinching the bridge of his nose. He then put the phone back up to his ear.

"We're going to be meeting up with Taiga and Kuroko soon." Ryuto said. "Just get here soon." the coach said hanging up.

As he put away the phone, he sighed again. _I'm so going to hear about this later_ Ryuto thought. After a few more minutes of walking the three met up with Kuroko and Kagami. As the three saw them, Satsuki immediately latched onto Kuroko. Kuroko then apologized for calling so suddenly and said hello to both Ryuto and Aomine. Kagami thanked Satsuki for helping him find shoes and then asked why Aomine was here as well. Satsuki then said that Aomine had lots of pairs and that he would give him one. Aomine argued that he never said something like that and she should stop fooling around. She then gave Kagami the shoes that she took from Aomine, and calling him 'Kagamin'. Ryuto then let out a small snicker.

"'Kagamin,' that's hilarious." Ryuto said quietly.

Aomine then said that he would give Kagami the shoes if he beat him in a one-on-one. Kagami began to argue, but Aomine told him to just do it and that he wold give him a short lecture in the process.

"Guys we're on a bit of a time-table here." Ryuto said.

But his claims fell on deaf ears as Aomine and Kagami played their one-on-one. Ryuto sighed and rested against the fence. Satsuki and Kuroko were talking about Haizaki, and Ryuto had nothing to add so he kept to himself. He then crossed his arms and began to think.

 _If we beat Kaijo, we either play Shutoku or Rakuzan. If I'm being honest with myself, I would prefer to play Shutoku. But, I have to prove something to Seijūrō. It's also unlikely that he is going to loose, but there's always that one percent. Just thinking about him pisses me off._ Ryuto thought.

The more he thought about Seijūrō the harder his expression got. He found himself pressing his biceps and gritting his teeth. He then took a deep breath and relaxed.

 _I will beat you Seijūō, but my next obstacle to get to you is Kise and Kaijo_ Ryuto thought.

While Ryuto was lost in thought, Kagami and Aomine had finished their one-on-one and Aomine and given him the shoes.

"I see you're done daydreaming." Aomine said turing to Ryuto. "I guess so." Ryuto said. "Don't lose to Kise, I want the honor myself." Aomine said. "Apparently there's a line forming for that." Ryuto said with a slight chuckle. "I better be the first in that line." Aomine said. "I'll have to see." Ryuto said with a smile. "Idiot. Come on Satsuki." Aomine said walking away. "See you all later." Satsuki said waving.

Ryuto waved back and the three from Seirin headed towards the gymnasium. When they walked into the locker room, they apologized for being late. Kiyoshi then said that they made it just in time, the Rakuzan-Shutoku game was about to start.

"Seijūrō." Ryuto said with slight anger. "Everything okay? You seem tense." the coach said. "I'm fine. I hope I don't see Seijūrō is all." Ryuto said.

Furihata then asked if Rakuzan was really that strong. Hyuga then explained that they always made it to the Winter Cup since the tournament was founded and they have also won all three major tournaments five years in a row.

"Simply put they're strong." Hyuga finished. "And I almost played for them." Ryuto said quietly.

He then looked up to see every pair of eyeballs looking in his direction.

"Crap, I said that too loud." Ryuto said faceplaming. "What do you mean by that?" the coach asked. "When I was looking for schools to enter in Japan, one of them was Rakuzan. I sent in a highlight video for basketball to see if I could get in via scholarship. Long story short, I was accepted both academically and through sports." Ryuto explained. "Then why aren't you there now?" Kiyoshi asked. "The school was too uptight for me. Plus when I found out that Seijūrō was going to be enrolling, I immediately crossed it off the list." Ryuto answered. "What matters is that you are here now, it doesn't matter where you were going to apply to, what matters is that you're here now." the coach said. "Trust me guys, I have no regrets coming to Seirin instead of Rakuzan." Ryuto said.

He then turned to the coach and gave her a warm smile. Hyuga then resumed his explanation of Rakuzan by saying that the other three Uncrowned Kings were also at Rakuzan. _Dang, these guys are just absurd_ Ryuto thought. As the team walked towards the court, Ryuto leaned towards Riko.

"If I would have gone to Rakuzan, I would have never met you." He whispered. "That's a bit cliche, but it's true." Riko said with a smile.

As the team set up on the sideline under the stands, the two teams playing entered the court. As Ryuto saw Shutoku enter, he knew who he was rooting for. When Rakuzan entered, his demeanor changed to that of anger; more noticeable since he was looking straight towards Seijūrō.

"It's odd how a first year managed to make it to the captain's spot." Kiyoshi commented. "You're right, but with Seijūrō I'm not surprised." Ryuto said. "How so?" Izuki asked. "If you're a captain, either everyone on the team respects you or you were placed there because its where you belong. In Seijūrō's case it's the latter. In my case, when I became captain is was because I earned the respect and trust of the team. Also I was vice-captain my first year in middle school." Ryuto explained. "Dang, seriously?" Koga asked in amazement. "He's not lying. The former vice-captain stepped down. He did it knowing Ryuto was more respected then he was." Kagami said. "You make me sound like Seijūrō Taiga." Ryuto said coldly.

Ryuto turned towards the court, where the starters gathered. He saw Midorima and Seijūrō talking and then Seijūrō had a wild smile on his face. _It's a little creepy to look at_ Ryuto thought. The two teams then gathered in the center and bowed, then they set up for the jump ball. The ball was hit towards Takao, he moved to a position to drive, but instead he passed to Midorima who shot a three right off the bat, putting Shutoku in the lead early. The Midorima proceeded to shot back to back threes and never missed a beat. Ryuto silently hoped that Shutoku could keep this advantage going. Then Rakuzan had possession of the ball and Seijūrō calmly dribbled the ball at the three point line. Seijūrō then did a quick crossover to get away, Takao managed to keep up but Seijūrō jumped and passed to number 8 who scored a layup. The first quarter had ended in a tie 16-16. As the teams walked onto the bench Ryuto could see Takao seemed a bit distressed.

 _Flashback_

"What do you mean you're teaching someone?" Takao asked. "He's not very s-s-skilled at basketball and he's a-a-also my cousin. So I t-t-thought: 'Hey w-w-why not?'" Ryuto answered. "What are you teaching him?" Takao asked. "Basic s-s-stuff. He catches on q-q-quick so I've taught him some of my m-m-moves, but I know s-s-someday he might just be b-b-better then me." Ryuto said. "Better than you?! That's rich." Takao responded laughing. "Tao, a-a-anyone can be better t-than me. It's just a m-m-matter of p-p-practicing hard." Ryuto said. "Do people say that you're a walking cliche?" Takao asked. "Every once in a while." Ryuto said with a smile.

 _End Flashback_

The second quarter then began. Seijūrō and Midorima once again exchanged words, and the quarter began. Shutoku had possession of the ball first and once they set up for offense, Rakuzan was double teaming Midorima. Takao then passed to Miyagi, who dribbled past number 7 and was met by number 8. He then passed to Otsubo who scored a dunk and the first points of the second quarter. On Rakuzan's offense, the ball was passed to number 7 who was met by Miyagi. As number 7 began to dribble the ground seemed to begin to shake and with each dribble the thumping got louder. Then number 7 dribble past Miyagi, with Miyagi standing in confusion at what just happened.

"So it's like my crossover." Ryuto said. "Except you don't dribble like a stampede of wildebeests." Kagami said. " _Lion King_ reference. That's true, but another difference is that I use my low presence." Ryuto said. "What low presence? I can see you all the time." Kagami asked. "Look again." Ryuto said.

As Kagami turned everyone was surprised to see Ryuto had vanished. He then reappeared behind them.

"Low presence," Ryuto said, "there is a reason why my crossover is called Lightning Crossover. It's because of the speed of the crossover. This guy just has a lightning dribble." Ryuto explained.

Turing back to the game, number 7 had scored a lay up after getting by Kimura as well. As the quarter continued, Miyagi and number 7 continued to have a one-on-one, but Miyagi could not stop number 7's dribble. _In order to better analyze that dribble, I need a closer look_ Ryuto thought. Shutoku then darted down the court to set up for offense. Ryuto could easily read Takao's face, he was distressed. Looking at the other players, Ryuto could tell that they were in just as bad of a position as Takao. Takao then stopped dribbling and brought the ball closer to him. Seijūrō then jabbed at the ball and managed to get it loose. Seijūrō then grabbed it and passed to number 7 down the court. He was met by Miyagi, who overtook him and got into ta defensive stance. He then easily dribble past Miyagi and went for a layup, but Midorima jumped from behind and slapped the ball away. Takao then grabbed the loose ball and passed to Midorima who was down the court. When he received the ball, he was met by number 5 and number 6 moved to defend him. Number 5 weakly tried to jab at the ball, but Midorima blew past him. The Kimura screened number 6 and moved closer to the net. His forward progress was stopped by number 8. Midorima then set up for a shot, but number 8 jumped to block. However, the shot was a fake and Midorima passed to Miyagi who scored a dunk. As Midorima returned to defense, Ryuto noticed the slight smile he had after getting a pat on the back by Miyagi; Ryuto himself smiled at the sight. _Looks like you learned some teamwork Midorima_ Ryuto thought. A few moments later, Midorima was given the ball and shot from the other side of the court. As the ball entered the basket, the buzzer sounded signaling the end of the second quarter and the end of the first half. The score at the end was a tie 39-39. During halftime, Seirin walked onto the court to warmup for their game. Ryuto looked towards Shutoku and saw Kise and Midorima talking. Ryuto decided to not infer on what they were talking about and focus on Seijūrō instead; despite the fact he did not want to. Walking behind everyone else, Seijūrō stopped to talk to Kuroko. Staying behind, Ryuto listed to what he had to say. Kagami then walked up to Seijūrō asking if he forgot about him. He continued saying that what he tried to do was disturbing and that he would beat both him and Kise.

"Of course I remember you Kagami Taiga. I'll give you one warning though." Seijūrō said coldly.

He then placed his hand and Kagami's shoulder and said: "Only those subservient to me are allowed to speak without changing their line of sight. I won't allow anyone acting against me to look down on me."

Kagami then was forcefully sat down by Seijūrō, but it seemed like he did not use any force to do it.

"Lower your head." Seijūrō said coldly.

He then turned to Kuroko and told that he could not win. He continued saying that he was the one who found his talent. Ryuto had had enough of Seijūrō's words and walked to him.

"And I found yours Seijūrō." Ryuto said with his eye's once again a dark grey color.

Seijūrō looked up to face him, but said nothing.

"And this is how you use what I taught you? Dropping people who you deem that aren't your underlings!" Ryuto shouted. "There is no need to raise your voice. I am grateful for everything you taught me, but I perfected it all, to a degree that not even you can reach." Seijūrō replied. "That 'I can't reach'?! _Are you fucking kidding me_?!" Ryuto shouted in English as he put he finger against Seijūrō's chest.

Seijūrō's expression had not changed it was still calm and collected.

"I know about your Zone and just how much better you've gotten, but it still will not be enough to beat me. I have never lost, my word is law." Seijūrō said removing Ryuto's finger. "This is why I will beat you. That mentality." Ryuto said.

Seijūrō then walked past him ending the conversation. He then stopped and turned his head towards Ryuto.

"The only reason you're not on the floor right now is because we are family. You will be on the floor if we meet on the court." Seijūrō said.

He then continued walking leaving Ryuto to his thoughts. Ryuto tightened his fits and gritted his teeth in anger. He wanted to scream, he wanted to punch his cousin in the face, he wanted to do a lot of things that would not have been appropriate for the moment. His eyes had yet to change to their usual color and everyone kept their distance from Ryuto, they warmed up but they were uneasy.

"Ryuto-kun." a voice said. "What?!" Ryuto yelled out as his head jerked up.

His face changed from anger to calm as he saw Kuroko facing him.

"Sorry for yelling at you Kuroko." Ryuto said. "Are you alright?" Kuroko asked. "No, I'm not. And before anyone asks what I said was true." Ryuto said. "Care to explain?" Kuroko asked. "Nothing to it really. Whenever I visited Japan, I would visit Seijūrō. We would always play basketball and I would teach him what I knew." Ryuto explained. "What exactly did you teach him?" Kuroko asked. "My best move, the ankle breaker." Ryuto said.

Seeing the reactions of the team was expected, they all had the face of astonishment. He knew they would want a full explanation later. As the team ended their warmup during halftime, Shutoku and Rakuzan returned to the court to prepare for the next half. Ryuto and Seijūrō passed by each other, but did not acknowledge each other. As they returned to their spot on the sidelines, Riko moved closer to Ryuto.

"I didn't know he was such a sore spot for you." she said referring to Seijūrō. "He wasn't always. We were friends once, but that time passed a long time ago." Ryuto said. "I'm assuming you're going to use all the bottled rage during a game against him." she said. "You have no idea." Ryuto replied as his eyes had finally returned to normal.

To start the match, the ball was given to Kimura for him to inbound. He passed to Miyagi and the second half commenced. Miyagi then passed to Midorima, who was defended by Seijūrō. _So right off the bat_ Ryuto thought. The two stared at each other for a moment, before doing anything. Seijūrō had his usual calm demeanor, while Mirdorima seemed a bit destressed. Mirdorima then suddenly jumped to take a shot. In what was a split second, Seijūrō had managed to jab at the ball causing it to leave Midorima's hands. Ryuto looked closer towards his cousin and saw his eyes seemed to glow, but as if he was in the Zone, it was something else. He then grabbed the ball and drove down the court. Takao managed to over take him and get in front. Seijūrō stopped his advance, but then ducked to once side. Takao moved his leg in order to keep up, but Seijūrō crossed over to the other side causing Takao to fall. Seeing the ankle breaker, Ryuto tightened his fist and gritted his teeth. _That bastard. Using that kind of move, when he can get by without. He's just humiliating him_ Ryuto thought. As the third quarter ended and the fourth commenced, Shutoku was pushed back due to Seijūrō and Rakuzan's immense strength.

"They were tied at halftime." Kagami said in disbelief. "I shouldn't have taught him anything." Ryuto said quietly.

Shutoku was clearly tired out, all of them panted from exhaustion. Even Midorima seemed overwhelmed. _They have to do something to break this slump_ Ryuo thought. Midorima tried to shake off Seijūrō, but to no avail, he was insistent on Midorima not getting the ball. Kimura moved in to set up a screen, but Seijūrō simply rolled out of it as if it was not even there. The ball was passed to Midorima, but Seijūrō defended in a way that he could not even set up to shoot. Takao moved and called out a pass. Midorima motioned to send the ball towards him, but it was a fake and set up for a shot. Unfazed by the fake, Seijūrō jabbed at the ball and got it out of Midorima's hands. As Seijūrō drove down the court Kimura and Miyagi moved to defend him. Seijūrō then did a few crossovers and caused the two defenders to fall. He then simply dribbled past them saying that his orders were absolute. That was something Ryuto could hear clearly, once again anger boiled inside of him and he wanted to let it out. Seijūrō then jumped up to score, but Otsubo jumped to defend him. Seijūrō then brought the ball down and behind his back. Using his elbow he sent the ball towards number 8 who scored a dunk. Takao then rushed down the court to score a lay up, but was stopped by number 5. He swatted the ball away and number 8 received it passing to Seijūrō. As Seijūrō drove down the court, Midorima moved in to defend him. However, he quickly fell to Seijūrō ankle breaker. Seirin watched in disbelief at how Shutoku was being pushed back, no one could believe it. Ryuto then walked forwards in front of everybody. He took a deep breath and looked up.

"Oi, Shutoku!" Ryuto yelled out.

The entire team turned to face him all of them had shocked expressions on their faces.

"Don't let one person overwhelm you! Take a deep breath and focus on the next play! Forget about what happened before that, and keep on playing! No more moping around and get back in this!" Ryuto yelled out.

Following his outburst, the third years of Shutoku also motivated the two first years, pointing out their motto. Then their area of the stands exploded with cheers and Midorima and Takao watched in awe. Otsubo then gave the ball to Takao and said to make a shot and play to win. Ryuto smiled and walked back towards his team. All of them had surprised looks on their faces.

"What I can't give motivation to friends?" Ryuto said not facing them. "I think your words resonated with the Ryuto-kun." Kuroko said. "They better have." Ryuto said.

Midorima then stood up with new found determination, the determination to win. As Shutoku moved to offense, it was noticeable they had not given up. _Midorima is trying to do something. He's waiting for the right moment_ Ryuto thought. Kuroko echoed Ryuto's thoughts as he explained the situation to Kagami. The shot clocked kept winding down, with only 10 seconds left until a violation. Kiyoshi inputed that Shutoku was going to try something really risky. Midorima then stopped trying to break away from Seijūrō and set up for a shot, despite not having the ball. Ryuto watched with one eyebrow raised at what was going on. Then Otsubo and Kimura moved to defend number 5 and number 8 under the basket. The Midorima jumped and Takao passed the ball to the position his hands were in. Midorima then released the ball and made the three pointer. Ryuto smiled at the sight.

 _Flashback_

"Your passes are a lot more precise lately Tao." Ryuto said passing the ball back to his friend. "Well they have to be if Shin-chan and I are going to be partners." Takao responded before shooting the ball.

The ball bounced off the rim and Ryuto jumped and pushed it back in. As the ball landed, Ryuto grabbed the ball and dribbled to the three point line.

"What do you mean by that?" Ryuto asked. "Honestly, I don't know how to explain it. It's just something I'm trying to do I guess." Takao shrugged. "If it's to improve teamwork keep at it." Ryuto said.

Ryuto then released a three point shot and made it.

 _End Flashback_

Following the shot, Rakuzan was not on offense. Number 7 released a jump shot, but missed. Otsubo then jumped to get the rebound, he managed to catch it over two other players. When he landed he threw the ball to Takao who was running down the court. His advance was stopped by number 5, but Takao sent a pass to Midorima using the same trick as before; passing when Midorima was at his highest peak. Midorima then released and made the shot. After a steal by Miyagi, once again when the ball reached Takao, he sent a pass to Midorima mid-jump; who would release the ball soon after and make it. With only three shots, the score gap was down to 11 points. Hyuga then commented that Midorima and Takao working together was similar to that of Kuroko and Kagami, albeit with a different style. Ryuto zoned out their conversation about the Generation of Miracles in the past and focused on what he was witnessing.

 _I can see you discovered teamwork Midorima. That's a nice move and defiantly would catch anyone off guard the first time they see it. However, I see the biggest weakness in it, and I'm sure Seijūrō already discovered it as well_ Ryuto thought.

On Rakuzan's offense, Seijūrō was at the three point line with Midorima defending him. After a brief exchange of words, Seijūrō crossed over to one direction and back the other. The sudden change in direction, caused Midorima to fall and Seijūrō walked by him. Seijūrō then moved to score, but as he jumped up, Midorima had recovered quickly enough that he was in position to block Seijūrō. He then brought the ball down and passed to number 8, who jumped up to score, but he was blocked by Otsubo and Takao recovered the loose ball. Takao then sprinted down the court, but number 6 moved to defend him. Takao then sent a pass towards Midorima, who caught it at it's highest point and released; making another three pointer. On Rakuzan's inbound, Shutoku moved to do a full court defense.

"Everything's riding on this defense!" Hyuga said. "They can make it work. I know they can." Ryuto said.

Seijūrō then received the inbound and was double teamed by Midorima and Takao. Seijūrō then let out a breath and moved back. He then turned to the basket and shot the ball. While the ball entered the basket everyone was quiet in disbelief that he had shot in the basket he was supposed to defend.

"What the hell are you thinking?" Ryuto said quietly.

Nobody could believe what had just happened, but it clearly meant something the rest of the Rakuzan, since they gathered around Seijūrō. Seijuro began to chastise his teammates, with a calm voice, criticizing them for lowering their guard. He then said that if they lost it would be because of the shot he had just taken, and after they lost he would quit the team. He then held out his hand saying after that he would remove his eyes and give them to them. Ryuto's eye's widened at that, by his tone he could tell he was serious.

"That's a bit too far Seijūrō." Ryuto said quietly.

Number 7 began to say that he was taking things to far, but Seijūrō said that if they won there would be no problem. He then stated that they would win, because he had faith in them. _Faith my ass. Your presence just terrifies them_ Ryuto thought. However, everything that Seijūrō had said made a mark on the others, as they had new expressions on their faces. On Rakuzan's offense, they had scored after a serious of passes. Ryuto sighed, they were not playing to win, they were playing to please Seijūrō. Izuki pointed out that even after everything Rakuzan managed to push through, with Kiyoshi adding that what Seijūrō had said inspired them in some form. Hyuga then said that Shutoku still had a chance to win, with Midorima's three's. On Shutoku's offense, everyone seemed uneasy. With only three minutes left, Shutoku had to score to stay in the game. Takao then tried to dribble past number 6, but number 5 moved in to double team him. _Get rid of the ball Tao_ Ryuto thought. Takao kept trying to find a an opening in the double team, but their defense was too strong. After a series of crossovers, Takao managed to get away from the double team. _You look like me doing stuff like that Tao_ Ryuto thought. As he drove to the basket, Midorima was jumping to receive his pass. Takao then released the ball, but it was stopped by Seijūrō before it was even close to Midorima. He then drove down the court and scored a layup. Ryuto let out a disappointed sigh and turned away form the game.

"They lost guys. We should get ready for our game." Ryuto said somberly. "You don't know that!" Kagami yelled. "Yes I do Taiga! I figured out the combos weakness after their second attempt to do it. I knew it was only a matter of time for Seijūrō to figure it out as well." Ryuto explained. "He's right Kagami. After that interception, the game is as good as over." Kiyoshi said.

On Rakuzan's offense, the ball was passed to number 6. Takao moved to defend him and number 6 jumped up to shoot. Takao jumped as well, but was too late to notice that it was a fake. Number 6 jumped again for a shot, he bumped into Takao and then released the ball. As the ball reached the basket, it spun in the basket for a moment before entering. Since a foul was called, number 6 moved to the free throw line. He then made the free throw resulting in a four point play. As the quarter continued, Rakuzan dominated and Shutoku could not keep up. During the final seconds, Seijūrō ankle broke Midroima and shot. The buzzer sounded just as the ball landed on the floor. Shutoku was defeated and Rakuzan was moving towards the finals. Ryuto sighed, he expected the out come, but at the same time he did not want it to come true. He walked away from the court, disappeared before everyone without saying a word. Preparing himself for what was ahead.

 _Flashback_

"Your good, Seijūrō." Ryuto said grabbing the ball that bounced under the basket. "You think so?" Seijūrō asked. "Yeah! I w-wouldn't be s-s-surprised of you got b-b-better then me one day." Ryuto said. "Better than you? Maybe one day." Seijūrō said.

 _End Flashback_

"Sorry Seijūrō you still aren't better than me." Ryuto said as lightning sparked in his eyes.

 **AN: Here come's to an end another chapter. Some clarifications might be needed, but where to start... I know, I changed Seirin form being in the locker room for first half to them watching the entire game. This was done to show Ryuto's reactions to certain aspects of the game, since in one form or another it affects him. If there's anything else you need clarity on PM me and I'll try to clear it up as best I can. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for the next one. If I'm not mistaken there are probably going to be five or six more chapters, three of them are as follows: the game against Kaijo, Teiko arc(which will be completely original since Ryuto has nothing to do with that time), and the finals. Following that I have two original chapter planned then I'm doing my own take on the birthday episode, which will lead in to the sequel. Remember to review, follow and/or favorite if you haven't already.**

 **Side note: I'm going to be the next captain of my school's basketball team irl. That's pretty cool if you ask me.**


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: Finally chapter 20! I'm sorry for this upload taking so long. I had a lot going on in my personal life, school and work and what not. So I was working on this whenever I had free time. Now enough talking and enjoy this chapter.**

Chapter 20

Semifinal Second Game: Seirin Vs. Kaijo! Practice Game Rematch

After Rakuzan and Shutoku walked off the court, Kaijo and Seirin set up for their game. The two teams gathered around their benches before walking onto the court to warm up. On Kaijo's side, they made two lines, one shot layups and the other got the rebound. While Seirin would do a pass towards a shooter. Kise looked towards Seirin and noticed something was off. When he noticed it he raised an eyebrow.

"Where's Ryutocchi?" Kise asked out loud.

Kasamtasu looked over and noticed he was missing too.

"He walked off after the Rakuzan-Shutoku game ended. I don't think even Seirin has noticed it yet." Kasamatsu answered. "How did you know Ryutocchi walked off?" Kise asked. "I saw him do it." Kasamatsu said releasing a shot.

On Seirin's side, Riko had also begun to notice something was missing. As she scanned everyone, she noticed Ryuto was missing.

"Has anyone seen Ryuto-kun?" she asked the team.

Everyone stopped for a moment and noticed Ryuto was missing.

"He was standing right next to me a moment ago." Kagami answered. "I could go look for him?" Kuroko offered. "No need, don't want you wandering off as well. I'll just call him." Riko said with a hint of concern.

 _He was acting strange after he talked with Akashi-kun_ Riko pondered. She then turned on her phone and called Ryuto. The phone began to ring and ring, but no one picked up. She then put the phone away and addressed the team.

"He's not picking up." she said. "Where could he be?" Koga asked. "No idea. I didn't even see him leave. I don't think anyone notice him leave." Kiyoshi said.

On a basketball court away from the arena, there was a boy shooting baskets. This boy had long grey hair and light blue almost grey eyes; this was Ryuto Rishihara. He heard his phone ring, but decided against answering it. As he continued to shoot, his mind flashed events of the game he had just watched. The more he thought about it the angrier he became. He had gone outside to clear his head before his game, but that was not working. He pretty sure by now, everyone noticed he was missing and knew some people were going to be worried; especially Riko. The thought of her seemed to calm him down, but his anger remained. As he shot another basket, the ball bounced off the rim and bounced towards the fence. He walked over to grab it and the wind began to blow hard and the ball rolled away. Ryuto sighed and jogged to catch up to it. It was a cold evening, but he did not mind the cold. He then set up on the three point line and went through some maneuvers. The maneuvers included crossovers with a slight move forwards and back with each crossover. Until the final one which was a slight move back with a quick crossover moving forwards. He then drove to the basket and scored a layup. The move he just did was his ankle breaker, his version of it. _I taught you this version of the ankle breaker. Not that new one you use_ Ryuto thought as if he was speaking directly to Seijūrō. He heard his phone ring again, but did not pick up. He let it ring for a few moments before looking at who it was that was calling; it was indeed Riko. As the phone finished ringing, a text arrived soon after.

It read: _Where did you disappear to? The game's about to start. Everyone's worried about you. Even Kaijo seems uneasy that you're not here. Get here as soon as you can please._

He smiled, knowing everyone seemed concerned for him. It also somewhat pleased him the Kaijo was uneasy at the fact that he was not there. He then picked up the ball and continued to shoot, slowly calming down.

Back inside the gymnasium, the game had commenced with Seirin taking the first point. Kuroko had score after using his Vanishing Drive on Hayakawa and then scored using his Phantom shot. Everyone was surprised that Kuroko was the first to score for Seirin, but it also seemed to pump everyone up. Then Kise scored right back by using his Perfect Copy right off the bat scoring a three after getting the inbound. On Seirin's next offense. Hyuga was blocked by Kise using Murasakibara's strength and Kasamatsu got the loose ball. He then gave the ball to Kise, who set up for another Midorima three. Kiyoshi jumped to block, but the shot was a fake and Kise drove down the court using Aomine's speed. Kagami then moved in to defend him. As Kise got closer, Kagami prepared himself for what was to come.

"No one can stop me!" Kise yelled out.

He then did a quick crossover and back causing Kagami to fall; he had just used Seijūrō's ankle breaker. He then picked put the ball and shot, scoring a point. Seirin was left in disbelief at just how strong Kise is. Then Kasamatsu explained how his Perfect Coy worked.

"The only person who could have a chance to stop him is Ryuto." Kasamatsu said.

Everyone turned towards him with astonishment, they could not believe that only Ryuto could stop him.

"He's not even here right now." Izuki said downtrodden.

On the bench, Riko began to say that she was not expecting Kise to use Perfect Copy so early.

"Kagami-kun's Zone could probably counter him, but judging by past games it's an unlikely possibility." she said. "There's still Ryuto. He's a dark horse in this. Even without the Zone he could probably keep up." Tsuchida said.

Riko began to think about that. Everyone was feeling Ryuto's absence at the moment. She wanted desperately to call out to him and figure out what was wrong with him. As the game continued, Hyuga called for a pass. After he received it, he set up for his Barrier Jumper. As Moriyama closed the gap between the two, Hyuga sent a pass to Kuroko who set up for his Phantom Shot. Kise then closed in to block the shot. Kuroko tried to readjust his position, but with his shooting form it was not possible. Kuroko then released the shot and Kise managed to block it by predicting where the ball was going to go. Everyone stared in disbelief at how Kise managed to block the shot that not even Murasakibara could stop, everyone was wondering what was the extent of Kise's abilities. Kagami then asked of Kuroko was okay after the block. Kuroko responded that he was not and that he gave up. But there was a smile on his face, he continued saying that Kise had gotten so strong that it made his laugh.

Back to the street court where Ryuto was, the wind blew in the opposite direction where it was blowing before. Ryuto noticed this while he was mid jump for a shot. As he released the ball bounced of the back board and into the hoop. He walked over and grabbed that ball, and stared at the sky, the wind had yet to die down.

"Something must have happened." Ryuto said a loud.

He then moved to three point line and shot again making it with a swish.

As the game continued, Kise continued to use the moves of the Generation of Miracles. The game was only seven minutes in and Kaijo had a thirteen point lead. After using Murasakibara's Thor's Hammer dunk, he began to pant. Kise then took in a deep breath and said that he was going to stop using Perfect Copy.

"Copying those guys is pretty rough after all. I can't really collapse so soon into the game. We still got most of the game to play, so I gotta save the fun part for later. It did serve its purpose after all, we have the initiative now. Plus I want to see how Ryutocchi fares against me." Kise said confidently.

Seirin could only watch in disbelief at what Kise had declared and once again the feeling of not having Ryuto stung for everyone. On Seirin's offensive possessions, they missed back to back shots, one from Hyuga and another from Kagami. It was noticeable that Kaijo's surprise use of Kise had a profound affect on all of them, and now they were desperate for points. On the bench, the coach began to notice what was going on. She then called out a member change to the one's on the bench, when she called on Furihata, he had a look of both surprise and fear. The ball landed out of bounds and the coach called out to Izuki for the switch. Everyone turned expecting to see Ryuto, but were surprised to see Furihata. As soon as stepped onto the court everything felt different for him, he was hit with everything that came with playing with such a big crowd. As he walked onto the court, Kagami and Kuroko tried to encourage him but he still seemed stressed out. Everyone wondered if he was going to be alright. He then walked up to Kasamatsu, who was the one Izuki was guarding. Kasamatsu scowled at the sight of him, calling Furihata a tensed up first-year.

"If only Ryuto were here." Kasamatsu said quietly.

The wind outside once again changed, Ryuto looked up to the sky and felt the way the wind blew. He smiled he had a good feeling at that moment.

"Looks like they don't need me just yet." Ryuto said aloud as he released the ball for a shot.

Back inside, Hyuga inbounded the ball to Furihata who dribble with absolute terror. As he moved to face Kasmatsu, the ball bounced off his foot and Kasamatsu caught it with relative ease. After passing Furihata, Kuroko managed to tap the ball away, leaving a surprised Kasamatsu behind. Fuirhata managed to get the loose ball and reset for offense, but he was still terrified. Kuroko then told him to calm down and said that during his debut game, he had gotten a nosebleed. Furihata meanwhile could not believe that he was serious. On the bench Kawahara and Fukuda pleaded with the coach to sit him back down, due to him being a coward, but Izuki defended him saying that being a coward is not necessarily a bad thing. Furihata was then face to face with Kasamatsu, he moved into a position where he could protect the ball. Kagami then called out for a pass, and Furihata complied. Kagami was then face to face with Kise. He then began to try to drive, but Furihata called out for him to stop and calm down. Kagami then yelled back that he should be the one to calm down, but nonetheless passed it back. Then Seirin began to slowdown and pass the ball repeatedly, looking for an opening. Furihata then received a pass and after holding onto it for a few moments, he passed to Kuroko who sent to Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi went to go for a layup but was stopped by Kobori, he then sent a pass to Hyuga; who scored a three. On Seirin's next offensive, the same happened as before. They would send passes to each other and try to find openings. Kaijo had already figured out the reason for Furihata to be there, but were nonetheless surprised by his abilites. On a defensive rebound, Kagami managed to get the ball. Once he landed, he threw the ball down the court, to where Hyuga was running. However, Kobori and Moriyama managed to keep up and they were in a position to grab the ball. But Kuroko jumped up and sent the ball towards Furihata, who, after he received it, went for a layup. Kagami yelled out for him to make it and he did. Everyone smiled at Furihata's accomplishment and Kuroko and Kagami congratulated him for it. After the shot, the first quarter had ended and the two teams returned to their benches to rest for a moment.

Out side once again the wind shifted. Ryuto looked up the wind was blowing the same way it was before he had arrived to the court. He took one final shot, which swished into the basket. He then grabbed the ball and rested it against his hip with his arm acting as a boundary. He then swung his bag over his shoulder. He took a deep breath and began to walk towards the gymnasium.

"I'm coming back guys. Sorry for making you wait." Ryuto said aloud as he walked.

"I'm swapping you out Furihata-kun. Good job!" the coach said with a thumbs up. "Thanks." Furihata said happily. "You're back in Izuki-kun." the coach said.

Izuki said okay by adding in a silly pun, but everyone seemed to ignore it. The coach then kneeled down to explain the game plan. The plan was to try to do what they had originally planned, which to score a lot and take the lead. She then added to focus on Kiyoshi since he was not at the practice game. When the break ended and the second quarter began, Izuki sent a pass to Kiyoshi, who was under the hoop. He then made eye contact with Kuroko, who moved to get a pass. Kobori moved to intercept, but Kiyoshi brought the ball back up and scored a lay up. On Kaijo's offense, the paint was left open so that Kasamatsu could drive; it was a one one one between him and Izuki. Kasamatsu dribbled the ball analyzing his attack before doing so. Kasamatsu then did a cross over and sped past Izuki, who could not keep up. Kiyoshi then moved in to defend, but Kasamatsu readjusted and scored with a hook shot. On offense, Kagami tried to pass the ball to Hyuga, but it was cut off by Moriyama. Moriyama then passed to Kasamatsu and Izuki stood ready to defend. After staring at each other for a moment, Kasamatsu once again passed Izuki with ease. Izuki then smiled and moved his right arm and managed to tip the ball away from Kasamatsu without looking. Hyuga then recovered the ball an scored a point. On Kaijo's offense, it was once again Kasamatsu versus Izuki. After Kasamatsu received the ball, Izuki moved closer to defend him. Kasamatsu tired to find an opening where not even Kuroko could stop his drive, but he found himself passing to Kise. Kise was then faced by Kagami, who seemed determined to stop him. Kise then drove towards the basket with Kagami close behind. Kise then skidded to a stop, he then hesitated for a moment before jumping up to release a shot. However, Kagami managed to block the shot and Izuki recovered the loose ball. Izuki the passed back to Kagami, who was met by Hayakawa. Kagami then easily passed him and jumped for a dunk, but Kise blocked it and the ball went out of bounds. Before the inbound, Kagami asked for the ball and Kise asked if he could face Kagami again. Both point guards agreed to their respective ace's propositions and after the inbound to Izuki, the ball was given to Kagami. Once again the two ace's met face to face, ready to got at it again. Kagami the managed to get past Kise and score a dunk. Everyone watched in surprise at how Kagami had managed to force his way through Kise and score. Kagami then turned to Kise and declared that he was the winner, to which Kise smiled and cursed him.

Ryuto walked at a slow pace towards where he was supposed to be. He could hear everything that was going on. He inferred that the first quarter was about to end or it was halfway through the second quarter. _I don't think I was gone for that long_ Ryuto thought. As he walked people looked at him in surprise. Some whispered: "Isn't he supposed to be playing right now?" Others would ask: "Isn't that one of Seirin's best players?" He paid no attention to them and he had no reason to explain why he was absent to them. As he continued walking the cheers grew louder and louder. He was getting closer.

Back on the court, Kagami had managed to block another one of Kise's shots and it was noticeable the two were determined. Kiyoshi then caught the loose ball and passed down the court to Izuki. The ball was then passed to Kagami, who faced again by Kise. Kagami then looked towards one direction, but then moved the opposite in one quick motion, leaving Kise behind. Kagami then scored a shot the banked off the glass. Then the buzzer sounded signaling a member change. Kaijo's coach called out to Kise that he was switching him. Kise began to argue, but Kasamatsu said for him to follow what the coach said. Kise continued to argue trying to remain in the game, but then Kasamatsu mentioned his foot. Kise stopped talking for a moment, but used his foot as a reason to keep playing. Kasamatsu then began to criticize Kise which eventually lead him to reluctantly accept that he was being substituted. Going in for Kise was number 9, Nakamura Shinya.

As soon as Nakamura entered the court, everyone fell silent. They could all feel some kind of immense pressure coming from the direction of the hallway leading to Seirin's bench. The players on the court, on the bench, even the crowd turned to see where the pressure was coming from. The players sweat dropped, they all knew who was arriving, but they had never experienced pressure like this before. Stepping into the light was the one player that was missing for most of first half. Seirin watched in astonishment at how Ryuto seemed to have changed, while Kaijo was mentally preparing for him to enter the game. He placed his bag and the ball he carried on the edge of the bench, he then walked over to the coach

"I'm going in." He said passing her.

She nodded and continued to watch him walk. When he reached the scorers table, the buzzer sounded and Ryuto walked onto the court. Kiysohi walked towards the player substituting him. The two clapped hands as one entered the court and the other walked towards the bench. As Kiyoshi sat down he examined his hand. _Odd, it was not cold. It was as if he had no temperature at all_ Kiyoshi thought. Ryuto then stopped walking and examined everything. He looked towards Kaijo's bench and saw Kise was about to sit down. Kise, meanwhile could only look at Ryuto with surprise. He then turned to Kaijo, they all had faces of uneasiness. He turned to his team, who also seemed uneasy. Ryuto took in a deep breath and then bowed at almost a ninety degree angle.

"I apologize for disappearing. I had to clear my head. I should have said something." Ryuto apologized.

Everyone was taken back by Ryuto's sudden apology, no one knew how to react. He then stood up and Ryuto had his usual expression, a nervous apology face. The four on the court then took turns punching Ryuto on the arm.

"That was entirely unnecessary!" Ryuto argued soothing his arm. "'Unnecessary?!'" Hyuga yelled out. "You disappear without saying anything and you call our reactions unnecessary!" Hyuga yelled. "Okay you made your point. You guys can bring up to speed on whats happened later, right now we got a half to win." Ryuto said determined. "You will give us an explanation Ryuto." Kagami said "Don't worry I will." Ryuto said.

"So you're back." Kasamatsu said. "Yeah, and I'm ready to make my declaration a reality." Ryuto said with a smile. "Lets see if you can." Kasamatsu said determined.

"They seemed determined." Izuki said. "Yeah. With Kise out now's our chance. We'll focus on Kagami and Ryuto on offense." Hyuga said.

Both Kagami and Ryuto nodded in agreement.

"Kagami-kun…" Kuroko started to say. "I know. I'll give it my all." Kagami said. "Good to have you back Ryuto-kun." Kuroko said. "Yeah." Ryuto simply said.

As soon as Kuroko inbounded the ball to Kagami, he was double teamed by Kakamura and Hayakawa. Hyuga then called out for a pass. Once he received the pass, he passed to Kuroko, who scored a Phantom Shot over Kobori. As Seirin set up for defense, Ryuto turned to see Kasamatsu have a type of realization. _What could that be I wonder?_ Ryuto thought.

"Oi, Izuki!" Ryuto called out. "Yeah?" Izuki asked. "May I mark Kasamatsu for a bit?" Ryuto asked. "Sure." Izuki said.

A few moments later, Kaijo began their offensive. Kasamatsu drove down the court and Ryuto stood in his path to stop his progress. Kasamatsu then stopped and passed to Hayakawa. Hayakawa then took a shot, but it bounced off the rim. Kobori had managed to get the rebound by boxing out Izuki. He then passed to Moriyama who scored one of this irregular shots. _What's up with that form?_ Ryuto thought. As Seirin set up for offense, Kaijo had changed the way they defended. Kasamatsu was guarding Izuki, but he had a large distance in between them. Kuroko then moved to receive a pass. Ryuto went wide eyed as he noticed what was about to happen.

"Kuroko, wait! It's a trap!" Ryuto yelled out.

But Kuroko was already in his shooting form and could not get out of it. Kasamatsu moved in to defend, but not up close. He stepped back and jumped, blocking the shot. Everyone was surprised that Kasamatsu had managed to block the shot. The buzzer then sounded signaling a member change. Kiyoshi was reentering in place for Kuroko. Before Kuroko got off the court, Ryuto walked over to him and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry Kuroko. If I was here earlier, that probably would not have happened. Dammit I feel like I only thought about myself." Ryuto said. "No need to apologize. It wasn't your fault, I got careless." Kuroko said not facing him.

Kuroko the walked to the sideline and switched with Kiyoshi. Kagami the walked over to him and and whispered something before Kuroko walked to the bench.

"What did you say to him?" Ryuto asked. "Something he needed to hear." Kagami said. "Cliche much." Ryuto said.

On the inbound, Kagami received it and was immediately double teamed. He then positioned himself in a lower stance and managed to break through doing a crossover. He then jumped up and scored a dunk. As the quarter continued, Kagami continued on a score streak. The ball would almost always go to him on offense and he would score. During the quarters final moments, he blocked one of Moriyama's irregular shots and after Izuki caught the loose ball he passed it to Kagami, who was already darting down the court. After receiving it he continued to drive down the court. As he reached the basket, he jumped up for a dunk, but Kobori had jumped as well to block. Kagami then brought down the ball and passed behind him to Ryuto. Ryuto was stunned for a moment before shooting a lay up to close out the second quarter and the half. The half had ended in a tie 44-44. The team then exited the court for halftime and went to the locker room. Once they got there, the coach gathered them close to discuss the next half.

"I have nothing to add!" she said. "But you just said listen up." Koga said. "In short, we're fine. We'll keep going like this through the second half. And now the Ryuto's back, we can hit them harder. With Kise-kun out we'll focus on offense, but I'm sure he'll be back by the end." she said.

The team then replied by saying "yeah" in unison. As Ryuto prepared for the second half, Riko got close to him. Ryuto raised an eyebrow before saying anything.

"Is there something wrong?" Ryuto asked.

Then he was slapped across the face, hard enough that he almost lost his balance. The team then turned to see what was going on, but once they saw they turned away.

"What was that for?!" Ryuto exclaimed touching his cheek. "That's for disappearing and not saying a word about it." she answered angrily. "I thought I apologized already." Ryuto said. "Yeah, to the one's on the court. What about the rest of us?" she asked. "Fair point." Ryuto said. "By the way you still owe us an explanation." Kagami added. "Oh right that." Ryuto said.

"Better get comfortable, this might take some time." Ryuto said as he sat down.

"You guys no doubt heard my out burst. What I said was true, everything that I know I taught to Seijūrō." Ryuto said. The team let out a surprise gasp, before continuing to listen. "I taught him because he wanted to learn. Almost all the moves he has I taught them to him. His court awareness, his movements, even that damned ankle breaker, all of that I taught it to him."

"So when he said that he discovered Kuroko's talent. It was like he forgot that I 'discovered' his. That pissed me off so I lashed out. After that I saw him continue to use what I taught him to humiliate the opponent, it just made my anger boil even more. I needed to cool off, so I went outside for a while. When I finally calmed down I came back." Ryuto finished.

"One question: when did you teach him all that?" Hyuga asked. "When I was about 8 years old. I came to Japan to visit family and one of those stops included him. We bonded over basketball. He wasn't the best at it, but he learned fast. Before I left, I taught him the basic movements of the ankle breaker. Looks like he perfected them and combined it with that damn eye of his." Ryuto said. "If we go against him, we'll basically be playing another you?" Izuki asked. "No. Seijūrō has his own style and I have mine." Ryuto answered.

"So that's it. What you wanted to know." Ryuto said. "Now that that's out of the way, lets focus on defeating Kaijo." the coach said.

The team let out a 'yeah' in unison and they walked out of the locker room. As everyone walked out, Ryuto stayed for a moment.

"Coming?" the coach asked. "Yeah. Sorry, just tying my shoes." Ryuto said getting up.

As both teams walked onto the court, Ryuto studied Kaijo for a moment. He then looked towards Kise, who seemed to be pouting. _Seriously Blondie you're pouting?_ Ryuto thought. Ryuto rolled his eyes before turning back to the team. The quarter started and Kaijo had possesion of the ball. After several passes, Kaijo scored the first points of the quarter with a layup. Seirin scored right back with a pass to Kagami, who scored a jump shot. After an intercepted pass, Hyuga scored a three putting Seirin further in the lead. Then Moriyama scored with one of his irregular shots keeping Kaijo from falling behind. On Seirin's offense, Izuki passed to Hyuga. Hyuga tried to set up for the three, but Moriyama got in that way. Hyuga then passed to Kiyoshi, who then passed to Ryuto. Ryuto then scored a layup to finish their offense. As Kasamatsu dribbled down the court, Ryuto could feel the determination radiating off of all of Kaijo's players; they were not giving up anytime soon. Kasamatsu then drove past Izuki, but Izuki managed to tip the ball causing it to become a loose ball. Ryuto prepared to grab it, but Kasamatsu managed to swat it towards Kobori. Kobori then turned to the basket for a shot, but Kiyoshi managed to block the shot. Hayakawa and Kagami competed for the lay up, but Hayakawa managed to get it and score with a dunk.

"We're Kaijo! Don't belittle us!" Kasamatsu yelled out. "This should be interesting." Ryuto said quietly.

As the quarter continued, neither team would give up any ground; the score remained close. On Kaijo's offense, Hyuga put a lot of pressure on Moriyama, but he was able to break free. Moriyama then went for his odd shot, but Hyuga managed to tip the ball upwards. The ball then rolled in the basket before falling out. Ryuto ran to catch the rebound, but Hayakawa managed to get it first. _Dang this guy is really something on rebounding_ Ryuto thought. Mobori then called out for a pass, and after he got it he went for a lay up. Ryuto jumped to block it, but was too late and Mobori scored. _Good thing I jumped a bit late, any sooner and it would've been a foul_ Ryuto thought.

"Do you even play center?" Mobori asked. "In middle school, I played a bit." Ryuto answered. "I can tell you're a vastly superior player, but I won't loose." Kobori said jogging away. "That guy has beef with Kiyoshi no doubt." Ryuto said quietly.

After another point made by Kaijo, Seirin was on offense once again. Izuki drove the ball, with Kasamatsu defending close. Ryuto called out for a pass, and Izuki sent the ball to him. After he received and set up, Kobori was face to face with him. Ryuto dribbled the ball, he had already sized up Kobori, there was no way he could keep up with his crossover. Ryuto drove towards the basket and Kobori moved to defend him. Ryuto crossed over to his right and back to left before moving back to his starting position. Kobori was left surprised, he expected Ryuto to his Lightning Crossover.

"Expecting something else, I just wanted to see how you react. The reason I played center was because I was the tallest on team for a while. But once my coach realized, my speed and ball handling were needed at small forward I switched positions." Ryuto said.

He then drove towards the basket again and this time he disappeared from in front of Kobori, with no sign of a crossover. Kobori turned back to see Ryuto scoring an unguarded lay up. As Ryuto jogged to defense, Kobori gritted his teeth in frustration.

"Don't mind it Kobori. He's just too fast." Kasamatsu said. "How do I stop someone like that?" Kobori asked. "I don't know, but just by looking at him, he has experience in every position." Kasamatsu said.

As the quarter continued, the game continued to be a deadlock. Everyone was going one hundred percent. On Kaijo's next offensive, the ball was passed to Moriyama. Hyuga got in close to defend him and jumped when Moriyama jumped to release his shot. This time Hyuga was able to block the shot in its entirety. Izuki then caught the loose ball and drove towards the basket. Kasamtsu then moved in front of Izuki to stop his advance, but Izuki passed to Hyuga who scored a lay up. As the quarter ended, Seirin had managed to take the lead 67-58. However, neither teams spirit wained, both teams were still heated up.

In the stands, Rakuzan had appeared just as the third quarter ended. As they walked to the stands, they met with a scout, who was monitoring the game.

"Seirin is on a course to keep the lead." the scout said. "What about Ryuto?" Seijūrō asked. "Well, he was absent for most of the first half." the scout said looking over notes. "What do you mean by that?" Seijūrō asked raising an eyebrow. "He was no where to be found, as if he had vanished. He did appear a bit after mid way through the second quarter. His presence was defiantly known." the scout said. "Explain?" Seijūrō asked sternly. "Well the entire court fell quite, and once he entered Kaijo seemed uneasy. His appearance affected the game flow until the third quarter." the scout answered. "Interesting." Seijūrō said.

Rakuzan then proceeded to sit in the stand to watch the remainder of the match. Once they sat down, Mibuchi turned to Seijūrō curiously.

"Why do you concern yourself with that Ryuto character?" he asked. "Simple, he taught me to play basketball. I want to know if he himself has gotten better." Seijūrō answered.

During the brief quarter intermission, Ryuto heard a commotion in the stands. He looked up to see Rakuzan sitting down. Ryuto gritted his teeth and tightened his fist when he locked gazes with Seijūrō. Seijūrō merely looked on unimpressed. _That bastard, thinks he so high and mighty_ Ryuto thought.

"Ryuto-kun!" a voice called out.

Ryuto snapped back to reality hearing Riko's voice call him out.

"Did you hear the plan?" she asked. "Yeah, I did." Ryuto lied.

He then stood up and walked on the court.

"If you did, then you would've known that I'm substituting you." she said sternly. "Wait, you can't! Not right now! Five more minutes please?" Ryuto asked.

He then felt a hand being placed on his shoulder. Ryuto looked back to see Kiyoshi.

"We all know they're in the stands," Kiyoshi said referring to Rakuzan, "but we'll need you for when Kise eventually returns."

Ryuto gritted his teeth, but nonetheless decided to stop arguing. He grabbed a towel and placed it over his head and sat down on the bench. _Damn it! Why now? Why did you show up know?_ Ryuto thought.

"Are you all right Ryuto-kun?" Kuroko asked. "I don't know Kuroko, I don't know." Ryuto answered.

The game resumed and Seirin managed to keep the momentum early on, by scoring early. On the bench, the coach explained the situation.

"If we managed to get a 15-point lead we win. I can't say that for sure though, but even with two minutes on the Perfect Copy, it should be impossible for Kaijo to come back." the coach explained. "And if they do?" Ryuto asked bluntly. "No need to be such a downer, Ryuto." Koga said. "I'm just being realistic, nothings ever one hundred percent." Ryuto said.

As the game continued, Kaijo managed to score after scoring on a rebound. Kasamatsu called out to not let them score again, while Hyuga yelled to increase the lead. The game continued and Seirin did exactly what Hyuga had said, the lead was increased to 15 points. Ryuto looked over to Kaijo's bench and saw the Kise was getting restless. To Ryuto's surprise, Kise shot up and declared that he was going to enter the game. Ryuto looked towards the scoreboard, there were just over four minutes left to play. _It's crunch time guys_ Ryuto thought. Ryuto looked over to the score table and saw both Kuroko and Kise ask for a substitution. The two looked at each other for a moment and they both had determination in their eyes. Koga then asked if it was early to put him in, with Tsuchida adding that the Phantom Shot was defeated.

"Now's the perfect time," Ryuto said before the coach could answer, "Kise found a new resolve and with that something different is going to occur." "What do you mean?" the coach asked hesitantly. "Kise's perfect copy might not run out in two minutes." Ryuto said.

The team gasped in disbelief, not wanting to believe what Ryuto had just said.

"Kuroko-kun knows the terror of the Generation of Miracles. Add on what Ryuto-kun just said and Kaijo just might close the gap." the coach said hiding fear.

Kise and Kuroko entered the court and the atmosphere changed. It was no longer under Seirin's pressure, but now at a state of equilibrium.

"If it get's rough, you're going." the coach said sitting down. "I'll wait then." Ryuto said.

The game resumed and Kaijo was in possession of the ball. Kasamatsu passed to Kise, who was face-to-face with Kagami; both of them what was at sake and would not hold back. Then the air around Kise changed, and Kagami then fell to the floor. Kise darted past him without a second thought and dunked over Kiyoshi. _Looks like I was right_ Ryuto thought. On the inbound, Kuroko sent and Ignite Pass Kai towards Kagami. After catching it, he jumped for a dunk at the free throw line, but Kise managed to block it; he got close using Aomine's speed and Murasakibara's defense to block Kagami. Kasamatsu then recovered the ball and passed to Kise. To everyone's surprise, even Ryuto's, he set up for and Ignite Pass Kai. He then sent the pass to Kobori and he scored a lay up. Kaijo was beginning to close the gap. The coach then turned to Ryuto, but he was already on his way to the scorers table. She looked at him and saw a grey spark in his eyes.

The buzzer sounded for a member change, and everyone turned to see Ryuto waiting to enter; for some reason his eye's could not be seen. Kiyoshi walked over, but the coach told him to stay and for Izuki to switch with him. Izuki nodded and jogged towards Ryuto for the switch. As the their hands touched, Izuki felt a surge of energy coming from Ryuto. He turned to see him and his eye's widened as he saw the spark in his eyes for a moment.

"Guys, I'm point guard now. For this first shot allow me to break through." Ryuto said. "Do it." Hyuga simply said.

On the inbound, Ryuto was given the ball and he slowly moved the ball past half court.

"Kise! Change marks." Kasamatsu said.

Kise nodded and moved to defend Ryuto. The air was tense around Ryuto, just as it had been with Kise earlier.

"I wanted to try this on you earlier, but you weren't here. But now that you are, lets see if you can stop me." Kise said.

Ryuto said nothing in response, but he began to do crossovers. Kise set himself in a defensive position, analyzing Ryuto's movements. _Wait, why can't I read what he's going to do next? Does Akashicchi's eyes not work on him?_ Kise thought distressed.

"What's wrong Blondie? You seem distressed." Ryuto said with a smile.

He then moved forwards on a crossover before moving back. He did the same again, and this time Kise fell to the floor. Ryuto then blew past everyone scoring a dunk. Kise turned to see Ryuto and noticed what everyone else did in that moment; the grey lightning coming out of his eyes.

"Because right now is not a time for you to be distressed." Ryuto said.

 _I better make use of it in less then a minute in a half, or I might never be able to use the Zone again_ Ryuto thought.

Just as Ryuto scored, Seirin called a timeout to regroup after everything that had just happened. Ryuto closed his eyes and jerked his head side to side; he was exiting the Zone. He then sat down to listen to the game plan.

"Kise-kun's Perfect Copy has a longer duration." the coach said. "Like I said earlier." Ryuto said. "Wait you knew?" Kiyoshi asked surprised. "The moment Kise saw just how far back Kaijo was being pushed back, something sparked inside him. That spark led to Perfect Copy lasting longer." Ryuto explained. "But you can use Zone! Use it to shut him down!" Koga exclaimed. "It's not that simple." Ryuto said saddened all of a sudden. "What do you mean?" the coach asked. "You guys were bound to find out sooner or later anyways; if I use the Zone any longer then for a minute and a half, I will not be able to use it any longer." Ryuto explained.

The team gasped in surprise, meanwhile Kagami and Kuroko stared at him wide eyed.

"So what you're saying is that if you use the Zone, it'll be gone forever?" Kagami asked. "Exactly what I mean." Ryuto said not facing anyone. "I wanted to save what I had left to play against Seijūrō, but that's clearly not gonna happen. I'll have to use it up here." Ryuto said.

The team fell silent, loosing Ryuto's strongest weapon hurt everyone's morale more then anything.

"If that's the case, then we'll help to make sure you still have that to face Akashi-kun." Kuroko said with a determined face. "Even if we do that, that leave four other Kaijo players." Ryuto said. "I know how much the game against Akashi-kun means to you, so we'll figure out a strategy." Kuroko said. "Thanks Kuroko, with that I probably now have two minutes of Zone left." Ryuto said with a smile.

The buzzer sounded and the time out was over, Seirin walked onto the court to play that final three and a half minutes of the game. Over in the stands, stood Momoi and Aomine watching the game. They were surprised when Ryuto used his Zone to get past Kise using his Perfect Copy. However, Aomine began to wonder why Ryuto was using Zone, since he had the limit problem.

 _Flashback_

"Do you think there's a second stage of the Zone?" Ryuto asked out of the blue.

Aomine raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Eh?"

"Nothing. Forget I said anything." Ryuto said waving his hand. "I do have an answer for you." Aomine said turing away from him. "You do? It's just that when I enter the door, I fall into another abyss, but falling down that abyss is a lot more difficult. At the bottom, though, there is a light and I want to reach it." Ryuto explained. "You're referring to the second door. It's rumored that it's the purest form of the Zone." Aomine explained. "What is this a fairy tail?" Ryuto asked frowning. "Shut up." Aomine said with a tick mark forming on his head.

"Why do you want to know about the second stage?" Aomine asked. "My Zone is different. If I use it too much, I might not be able to access it ever again." Ryuto answered. "That doesn't make sense. There are qualifications to enter the Zone." Aomine argued. "I know, but that's why I said my Zone is different it's as if it has a limited amount of uses." Ryuto said. "So using it for a whole quarter really diminished it durability, so to speak." Aomine said. "Yeah, it did." Ryuto said.

 _End Flashback_

"So why are you using it?" Aomine asked aloud. "What's wrong Dai-chan?" Momoi asked concerned. "It's nothing. Ryuto just seems focused." Aomine said.

As the game commenced, Seirin had the ball. A pass was sent to Kagami, with Kise ready to defend. Kasamatsu returned to guard Ryuto and he eyed him cautiously. _He seems different, and he's not in the Zone. With the Zone, not even Kise could stop him_ Kasamatsu thought. Kagami then began to bring the ball down, but Kise jabbed at it and managed to get it loose. Kuroko managed to recover the loose ball and he sent a pass towards Hyuga. Hyuga then set up for a three, but as he released Moriyama managed to touch it with the tips of his fingers and the ball bounced off the rim. Kiyoshi and Kobori fought for the rebound, but Kobori managed to get it. He then passed to Hayakawa, who passed to Kasamastu. Seirin then set up for offense and the ball was passed to Kise. Kuroko stood in front to defend with Kagami hovering close behind. Kise was taken by surprise that Kuroko was defending him, as well as Kasamatsu who let out a surprised gasp. Kise then passed by Kuroko and Kagami moved in to defend. Kuroko then moved to tip it from behind, with assistance from Ryuto. Kise then spun around and sent a Cyclone Pass to Kasamatsu, he the moved back and sent a hook pass to Kise. Kise then jumped for a dunk, with Kagami behind him, but he still managed to dunk.

"No matter what you do it's useless. No one can stop me now." Kise said to a fallen Kagami and Kuroko who was at his side.

"That's where you're wrong Blondie!" Ryuto said. "What can you do Ryutocchi? I can just blow past you as well." Kise said. "Here's the thing, I can stop you and I will." Ryuto said revealing that he was in the Zone once again.

Kise stepped back, he then smiled and turned to face Ryuto.

"Let's see whose stronger. Akashicchi held you in high regard, so let's see if you live up to that." Kise said.

Ryuto then dribbled the ball to the half court line. Kise stood on the top of the three point line ready to defend. _I can't read him with Akashicchi's eyes so I'll just have to watch him closely_ Kise thought.

"Better not thing too much," Ryuto said driving towards the basket, "or you might just miss me." Ryuto finished his sentence with a whisper and when Kise turned he saw Ryuto dunking the ball.

 _Why can't I copy his moves. There's nothing stopping me from doing that_ Kise thought as he gritted his teeth.

"Don't mind Kise. You'll get him back right now." Kasamatsu said.

After the inbound, Kaijo sprinted to offense. He then passed to Kise, who drove towards the basket. Kagami moved to defend him, but Kise came to a complete stop and set up for a shot. But his form was Kuroko's Phantom Shot. Kise then released it combining it with Midorima's technique and scored. _He can even copy that. At this rate, he'll be able to copy me_ Ryuto thought. After that shot, the crowd began to chant Kaijo's name repeatedly. Seirin looked around and felt an enormous amount of pressure. _With all this negativity we'll loose morale even faster then before_ Ryuto thought. Returning to offense, Ryuto surveyed the defense Kaijo was defiantly ready to win. Ryuto sent a pass towards Hyuga, and after he received he shot. As the ball sailed, it was noticeable that it was not going in; to make matters worse, it was an air ball. Kiyoshi managed to recover it and passed to Kuroko. The crowd then began to murmur, saying that Kaijo almost had the ball. Ryuto gritted his teeth and moved to the half court line.

"Kuroko!" Ryuto called out.

Kuroko then sent the ball towards Ryuto, after he caught he set up in a triple threat position.

"Blondie isn't the only one whose amazing." Ryuto muttered.

He then jumped and released the ball. Ryuto then turned his back to move to defense.

"Move it! We're on defense!" Ryuto called out.

As the ball sailed everyone fell silent, it seemed as if the ball was in slow motion. After what seemed like an eternity, the ball entered the hoop; nothing but net. Everyone was silent, the one's on the court looked towards Ryuto, he had a commanding aura and it showed no signs of wavering. The crowd the erupted in cheers, now they were divided on who to root for. Ryuto then turned to face Kaijo.

"You better not underestimate us! More importantly don't underestimate me!" Ryuto yelled out.

Ryuto could feel the sighs of relief coming from the team behind him; it seemed that they had calmed down. Ryuto closed his eye's for moment a felt his consciousness sink. He sunk to the abyss that would normally reject him, he stood in from of a large steel door. He tried to open it but it would not budge. He then began to bang on it pleading to let him enter.

"Please I don't need everything just enough to win this game and the next one." Ryuto said as he began to kneel in front of the door.

He continued to bang on the door, pleading again and tears forming in his eyes. The door then creaked open and light poured out of it. Ryuto rubbed his eyes and smiled.

"Thank you." Ryuto said quietly.

As he opened his eyes, Kise drove past him not giving it a second thought. As he jumped for a dunk again, Kise could feel a presence behind him. He looked back to see Ryuto jumping as well. Ryuto then swatted the ball away and it rolled out of bounds. Kise landed and turned to face Ryuto. He noticed Ryuto was panting a lot and he seemed to only pour sweat. Ryuto then lifted his head his eyes still glowed with the Zone.

"Now I have to strength to beat both you and Seijūrō." Ryuto said.

The coach had stood up, but seeing Ryuto's declaration she sat back down.

"Are we not going to take a timeout?" Koga asked. "It seems Ryuto managed to do what I was going to do." she said smiling.

 _This why I fell in love with you Ryuto_ the coach thought with a smile still present.

"Kuroko, I figured something out. I'm sure you have as well." Ryuto said. "Yeah, we'll need a timeout in order for me to explain it." Kuroko said.

Ryuto nodded and faced the coach, she nodded back then a timeout was called. The team sat on the bench and took a few second to catch their breaths before talking strategy.

"Kuroko and I have figured out a way to counter Kise." Ryuto said. "How?" the coach asked. "Well, I'm not sure it's possible, but the potential is there." Kuroko said. "Perfect Copy allows for the use of the techniques of the Generation of Miracles. While allowing to use them at different moments depending on the situation." Kuroko explained. "A recreation means each one is the same as those we've faced before. And we have two players who've gone toe to toe with them, if not better." Kuroko continued. "Basically what Kuroko's saying is that we have to negate one of the techniques, which will force him to use another. For example, if someone stops Midorima's technique by getting in close he'll have to use Aomine's speed to get away. By making loose one of his options, it'll be easier to stop what happens next. Essentially a game of _Guess Who?_ " Ryuto added. "That's going to be difficult, you're going to have to watch him thoroughly." the coach said. "Kuroko won't be alone, I'm good at analyzing the next move; it's how most of my moves work. So I'll be taking on half the burden." Ryuto said. "Stopping Kise is the only way to win. We'll entrust this to Ryuto and Kuroko." Hyuga said standing.

The team then huddled together, after yelling out their battle cry, the players walked onto the court. The two teams met on the court and Kaijo set up for the inbound. After the inbound, Kise scored an easy shot, adding two more points for Kaijo.

"This is where the fun begins." Ryuto said quietly.

On Seirin's offense, Ryuto passed the ball to Kagami with Kise ready to defend him. Kise tried to lunge at the ball expecting a fancy move, but Kagami drove forwards. Passing Kise, Moriyama moved to defend, but Kagami simply spun out of the way. Kise, however, would not be stopped so easily. He managed to catch up using Aomine's speed. Kagami then came to a complete stop and set up for a shot, but Kise swatted it using Murasakibara's defense. Hayakawa got the loose ball and passed to Kise. Kagami once again was face to face with Kise, ready to defend. Kise then began to do crossovers through his legs with the speed increasing each time. Kagami began to stumble, but he managed to regain his bearings before falling; but it caused for him to move bad slightly. Kise then set up for one of Midorima's threes. Ryuto gritted his teeth and sprinted towards Kise. He then noticed that Moriyama was wide open, he then changed course and went towards Moriyama. Kagami had managed to jump high enough to stop the shot, but Kise passed the ball. Ryuto smiled and cut off the pass. Moriyama looked stunned while Kise gasped in surprise. Ryuto darted towards the basket and scored a dunk, once again widening the gap. As the team rushed over to congratulate him, Ryuto looked towards Kise, who had a smirk on his face. Ryuto then turned to face Kuroko.

"I have everything we need." Ryuto said. "As do I." Kuroko said.

Ryuto looked towards the score board, there was just under a minute left. _It's now or never_ Ryuto thought. After another easy shot made by Kise, Seirin prepared for offense. Hyuga inbounded the ball and the team darted down the court. Kaijo was surprised seeing that Seirin was using their run and gun offense with so little time. Ryuto then passed to Kiyoshi, who went up for a lay up, but Kobori jumped to block. Kiyoshi then used his Right of Postponement and passed to Hyuga. Hyuga set up for a shot, but could not get his legs off the ground. He then brought the ball back down and drove towards the basket. As he drove Kise moved in front of him and went to jab at the ball. In the nick of time, Kuroko tipped it towards Kagami. Kagami then set up for a jump shot, after releasing Kise managed to barely touch the ball. The ball circled the rim, before entering into the basket. Ryuto looked towards the clock thirty seconds remained, enough time for Kaijo to get one last shot in. Kaijo then inbounded the ball and dribbled the ball down the court. _They're gonna use up the clock and score one to get ahead_ Ryuto thought. Kaijo then began to pass the ball to each other, using up the time. Kuroko had chose to mark Kise in order to stop him, and thus far nothing had happened. The Kise got the ball and Kuroko immediately lunged for it. Kise then used Aomine's speed to get away and drove forwards. Kagami then moved in to defend, but Kise used Seijūrō's ankle breaker to drop him. As he drove closer to the basket, Hyuga and Kiyoshi moved to defend. Kise then began to do the movement for Murasakibara's Thor's Hammer, but he hesitated. Ryuto similed, the opening he was waiting for.

"You hesitated Blondie." Ryuto said as he swatted the ball away.

Kise stared wide eyed as the ball left his hands, unable to react. Kise then found his resolve and spun around to catch the ball. He sent a pass to Kasamatsu, who based on his expression was not expecting a pass. Kasamatsu then set up for a shot and released. The ball entered the hoop, without even touching the rim. With three seconds, Kaijo was ahead by one. Once the ball landed, Kiyoshi grabbed the ball and threw the ball down the court to Kagami. He then received the ball and continued to sprint. Ryuto tried to keep up, but his legs gave out and he kneeled on the floor.

"Finish it Kuroko, Taiga!" Ryuto yelled out.

Kise then used a burst of speed to get ahead of Kagami and set up to defend in front of him. Kagami then jumped form the free throw line to do a Meteor Jam and Kise jumped to block it. Kuroko then called out for Kagami to pass, but Kagami was at the point where he had to let go of the ball. Kagami then threw the ball at the back board and Kuroko caught it. He then set up for his Phantom Shot and released. As he let go, the buzzer sounded. Everyone watched as the ball sailed in the air, and the air was tense with anticipation. Bouncing of the back board, the ball entered the hoop. The referee then blew his whistle saying that the shot counted. Seirin the let out a yell of excitement with some yelling: "We did it!" Ryuto smiled and he tried to get up, but his legs would not let him. With a sigh he sat on the floor taking everything in. He then saw a hand held out. Ryuto looked up to see Kasamatsu. Ryuto smiled and took his hand, Kasamatsu the pulled him up. As Ryuto stood he stumbled a bit before regaining balance.

"Go with your team. We'll talk later." Kasamatsu said with a smile. "Thanks." Ryuto said as he slowly walked over to his celebrating teammates.

As he arrived Kise also walked over. Kuroko and Kagami turned to face him as well.

"It was a total loss." Kise said smiling. "Kise.." Kagami said before shaking his hand. "Honestly, you won twice against me. I can't even think of anything to say as a parting shot. But my head feels clear too. I feel like I gave it my all and have no regrets." Kise said. "Kise-kun, you were really strong. We may have won the game, but we couldn't stop you." Kuroko said. "You know, it's useless if I'm the only one who wins." Kise said.

"Blondie, just know that your Perfect Copy is something else." Ryuto said. "You know, it seemed to have no effect on you Ryutocchi." Kise said. "I don't understand." Ryuto said. "I couldn't figure out what you were going to do next using Akashicchi's eyes. Plus, I couldn't copy any of your moves." Kise said. "Well then, I'm a foil to your ability it seems." Ryuto said. "Looks like it." Kise said.

As Kise turned to leave, he turned back with a smile on his face.

"Next time, we'll win. We'll have another match next year." Kise said.

The three Seirin boys nodded a yes in response and Kuroko and Kise shook hands. Then three turned to return to their team.

"Ok before we start walking, I need assistance. I can't feel my legs." Ryuto said. "Come on." Kagami said as he place one of Ryuto's arms over his shoulder. "How much juice you got left?" Kagami asked. "Enough." Ryuto said.

The two teams then lined up for the bow and after thanking each other, both teams turned to leave. As Ryuto gathered his stuff he looked towards the stand and made eye contact with Seijūrō. Ryuto stared at him with a scowl, meanwhile Seijūrō's blank expression stared through him. _I'm gonna win Seijūrō_ Ryuto thought. He then walked off the court with his team. After being quiet in the locker room, Furihata let out a triumphant yell. Everyone began to make their own inputs, while was off to the side lost in thought.

 _Seijūrō's next, but I feel uneasy. The door opened slightly and after I left it closed on me. What am I going to do if I'm force to use it early in the game? Will I be useless after that? And why do my legs feel so numb? Is this what using just a small amount of the second Zone feels like? I have so many question and answer to none of them. What's everyone going to think when I become a liability? What am I saying? Just be cause I don't have the Zone no one's going to think less of me_ Ryuto thought.

"Hey Ryuto-kun you alive?" a voice called out.

Ryuto jerked his head side to side returning to reality.

"Sorry, lost in thought. I tend to space out some times." Ryuto said nervously. "Are you alright you seem, I don't have the right word, but disappointed sounds about right." Izuki asked. "Yeah I'm fine, just looking ahead." Ryuto said. _While simultaneously looking back_ Ryuto thought. "Where are Taiga and Kuroko?" Ryuto asked looking around. "Kagami-kun lost his ring and went to go look for it. Kuroko-kun followed him." the coach said. "Oh I see." Ryuto said.

He then slid on the wall and sat down on the floor. He let out a sigh and rest his head against the wall.

"Are your legs alright?" the coach asked sitting next to him. "I can walk, but they feel numb for some reason." Ryuto said. "Put some ice on them tonight." the coach ordered. "I was already thinking about that." Ryuto said. "What bothers you about Akashi-kun so much?" she asked. "It's personal, so I'd rather not talk about it. But to clue you in, I know both Seijūrō's." Ryuto said coldly. "Both?" the coach asked. "It's something Kuroko will probably know more about." Ryuto said.

Once Kuroko and Kagami arrived, Kuroko announced that he had something to say to everyone. The team then departed towards Kagami's house in order to listen to what Kuroko had to say. They sat around Kagami's living room table with Kuroko in the center. Ryuto sat against the wall with two ice packs on his keens, listening in as well. Kuroko then began to explain how he got into basketball and his first teacher being a boy he met while playing on a street court. _Seems pretty normal origins to me_ Ryuto thought shrugging. He continued saying that they parted ways and vowed to meet up again in an official game. Koga then asked if he still played basketball, with Kuroko responding that he quit because of him. Kuroko then began to talk about his middle school days, starting from when he entered Teiko. Ryuto's mind then began to drift, thinking of when he first me Seijūrō and how they built their relationship.

 **AN: And here ends chapter 20. I changed the game around a little bit, and I'm sure you noticed the changes. My reasoning for Ryuto to have a limited amount uses with the Zone is because I don't want him to be too op. As for having him be in the Zone this game came to me as I wanted an early way to show that Akashi's eyes will have no effect on him(or maybe they will ;) ). With that out of the way, if you have anymore questions feel free to write it in the reviews or PM me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, the longest I've ever written, and remember to follow, favorite, and/or review if you haven't already.**


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Flashback

" _Why do we have to go to Japan?!_ " Ryuto exclaimed in English. "Because, we have to see some family that lives there. And remember the rules of this house young man." his mother replied sternly. "Fine." Ryuto said switching to Japanese while listening to his mother.

Ryuto walked up the stairs to his room and laid down on the bed. Ryuto is eight years old, his grey hair is shorter then what it will be, with his hair styled upwards and on the back reaching midway of his neck. His eyes are a bright blue, with no sign of grey. He is also skinnier and tall for his age. When his father called him, Ryuto shot up and went down stairs. Entering the kitchen he saw: his bother, Toshiro, his mother, Rikai(Ree-kai), his father, Ryunosuke, and his one year old sister, Yuki, cradled in his mothers arms, gathered around the kitchen table.

His mother had dark brown hair tied in a ponytail with hazel eyes. His father had greying hair with the color originally being light brown with it styled shot and flat, and blue eyes. His bother had jet black hair which was all over the place, no signs of brushing, with blue-green eyes. His sister had light brown hair same as her father, and she had hazel eyes same as her father.

"Great, now that we are all here, we have to go over some rules while we are in Japan." his father announced. "We're visiting two places, the first is Tokyo where we'll be for about a week. Then we're going Kyoto, which we'll be for a bit longer, about a week and a half." his mother said. "In both areas we'll be staying with family, so no need for a hotel or the like. As for food, that will be settled when we get there. Finally, in Tokyo we'll be staying with my sister, your aunt. In the near by area there's a park that's where you can go by yourself without us. Do you understand Ryuto?" his mother asked.

"Yes, mom." Ryuto said.

"Good. As for Kyoto, we'll be staying in a large estate, so not that much venturing outside. While we're there, we will do tourist things. We want you to know where your family comes from." his mother continued. "Do you two understand?" his father asked.

The two boys nodded in response.

"Good. We leave tomorrow early in the morning. It's still early, so no need to go to sleep yet. However be in bed before 9." his mother said.

Ryuto then stood up and darted out the door of his house. After a small run, he arrived at a street basketball court, where a boy with red hair and black hair were playing.

" _Taiga! Tatsuya!_ " Ryuto called out waving.

The two boys turned and waved back to their friend as Ryuto jogged over to join them.

"All done packing?" Tatsuya asked. "Yeah." Ryuto answered grumpily. "What's with the attitude? I would love to go somewhere for the summer." Taiga said. "It's just I'd rather stay here with you guys." Ryuto explained. "Seeing where one comes from should be fun. I visited Japan a few times already, it gets better with every visit." Tatsuya said with a smile. "Yeah well, I don't care where I come from. I was born here and that's that." Ryuto said pouting. "Really pouting." Taiga said crossing his arms. "Shut up." Ryuto said. "Let's just play basketball." Tatsuya said holding out a ball.

Ryuto and Taiga smiled and grabbed the basketball and began to play. Ryuto would do his quick motions and crossovers, Taiga would score using his jumping skill, and Tatsuya would get away from them with fakes. As the sun began to fall, the three boys sat on a bench laughing at things only they knew. After drinking water, the three gathered under a tree; taking in the sunset.

"Sunsets are nice in the Japanese country side." Tatsuya said. "I've seen pictures." Ryuto said. "Pictures aren't the same." Tatsuya said. "I guess I have something to look forward to." Ryuto said standing. "You're going?" Taiga asked. "Sorry, it'll be dark soon and I gotta get home." Ryuto said jogging away.

Entering his house, his mother was preparing dinner in the kitchen with his sister sitting in her chair bouncing up and down. Ryuto smiled and walked up the stairs of his house to his room.

"Ryuto dinner will be ready soon!" his mother announced. " _I'll be down in a minute!_ " Ryuto called out.

After a few minutes, Ryuto returned to the kitchen for dinner. The dinner table was quiet, except for Ryuto's parents talking about the plans for the trip. After eating and washing his plate he went upstairs again to take a shower. As he walked up, his mother called out to him.

"Ryuto take a shower and get ready for bed."

"I will Mom!" Ryuto replied.

After his shower, Ryuto put on his pajamas and sat down on his bed. He looked towards his closet and saw the suitcase with all of his clothes, he sighed and lied down on his bed turning away from it. After a few minutes, Ryuto drifted off to sleep. Ryuto woke up in the morning with his mother shaking him to wake up. After letting out a loud groan, Ryuto got out of bed and walked down stairs to eat breakfast. He looked at the clock and it read 4:15 am. Ryuto groaned again, he hated waking up early.

"If you get changed fast, we can arrive to the airport faster and there you can sleep longer." his mother said handing him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "We better get moving, Joe will be here any minute." his father said. "Get changed Ryuto, your brother should be finished already." his mother said. "Fine." Ryuto said groaning.

After finishing his sandwich, he slowly walked back up stairs and into his room. He then got changed and made his backpack. He then walked back downstairs with his suitcase to see his family ready to go.

"Record time Ryuto. Let's get moving." his mother said happily.

When they exited the house, outside was a car waiting for them. Opening the trunk was an African-American man with a small beard and glasses and really short dark hair.

"Joe thanks for meeting us so early and agreeing to do this." his father said shaking Joe's hand. "No problem Ryu, anything for a friend." Joe said. "Okay kids into the car." his father said.

After settling into the car, Joe drove towards the airport. Ryuto looked out the window of the car wanting the trip to be over and it had not started yet. Once they arrived at the airport, his father and mother said goodbye to Joe as he drove off. After checking in and going through security, the Rishihara family waited at the terminal for their flight to Tokyo. The flight was at 7:30 am and after arriving and doing the checkin process, it was already 6 am. The terminal had a lot of people waiting, most of them were either Japanese or American tourists going on vacation. Ryuto looked out the window to see the plane it was a large plane meant for a lot of people.

"It's going to be a long flight." his father said behind him. "How long?" Ryuto asked. "Just under 15 hours." his father replied. "Thats a lot of time sitting down." Ryuto said downtrodden. "Don't worry so much Ryu," his father said laughing, "you'll be asleep for most of it. Remember Japan is a different timezone. Right now it's sunset over there." his father replied. "I know Dad. But why do we have to go? I wanted to stay here and be with Taiga and Tatsuya." Ryuto complained. "You'll see your friends when we get back. Right now focus on seeing family who know you." his father said. "But I don't know them." Ryuto said. "Then that's something you can do; get to know your extended family." his father said with a smile.

After an hour of waiting, the plane began to board. Once on board, Ryuto sat by the window; much to Toshiro's disdain. After all the flight checks, the plane was up in the sky and on it's way to Tokyo. Once the flight began, Ryuto's mom patted him on the shoulder and handed him a book to learn Japanese.

"Mom, I already know the language." Ryuto said. "Yes but there it'll be different. I want you to not feel overwhelmed with the way the language is spoken." his mom said. "But don't you teach Japanese?" Ryuto asked. "Yes, but someone refuses to learn." his mom said raising an eyebrow.

Ryuto sighed and opened the book and began to read.

"Whatever will I do with that boy?" Rikai asked. "Everything will be fine. I'm sure Ryuto will love it." Ryunosuke said taking his wife's hand. "It's just that Toshiro seemed more excited about this, and he's two years younger then Ryuto." Rikai said. "Toshiro is just more flexible. Ryuto isn't used to doing things out of his comfort zone." Ryunosuke said. "I thought that was something teenagers did." Rikai said. "I guess, Ryuto is just quicker to mature." Ryunosuke said. "Maybe you're right." Rikai said leaning her head on her husbands shoulder.

To Ryuto hours seemed like days. He stared out the window just to see the ocean's blue color. According to the pilot they had passed over Hawaii, but Ryuto could not see. Again the pilot announced that they were passing over the International Date Line, Ryuto looked out the window, but he saw no line. His dad later told him that the line was imaginary, but passing it meant they were closer to arrive at their destination. Eventually Ryuto managed to fall asleep, he dreamed about what could have been if he had stayed in the US. Ryuto woke up later with his dad telling there was only about one more hour of flying before they landed. Ryuto sighed, he was getting fidgety and wanted to stand up. His father then told him to stand in the aisle to stretch, since now was the best time to do it. Ryuto did as he was told and stood up. Stretching his arms high he felt less cramped as before he want to run up and down the aisle, but he got a stare from his mother and sat back down.

"Did you finish the book Ryuto?" his mother asked. "Halfway through it. I fell asleep reading it." Ryuto admitted as he put on the seatbelt. "When you get the chance I want you to finish it." his mother said.

Ryuto nodded in agreement and turned his head to look out the window. True to his fathers word the plane landed in just over an hour. After gathering their carryons, the Rishihara family walked through the airport towards the baggage claim to get what was under the plane. As they walked Ryuto marveled at how the airport looked, he looked at everything with genuine curiosity. There seemed to be people from all over the world there. _This place is pretty cool_ Ryuto thought. His mother turned to look at him and smiled at the way he was enticed by everything he saw.

"Looks like you were right." she said turing to Ryunosuke. "I'm almost never right, I'll take a win." he said with a smile.

After waiting to get their suitcases, the family gathered at the exit of the airport to wait to be picked up. Rikai then turned to the two boys.

"Ok, so my sister, your aunt, is going to pick us up. I want both of you to be as respectful as possible. Call her by her name unless she lets you call her by anything else. Her name is Sarui." she said. "I've always wanted to meet Auntie Sarui!" Toshiro said with excitement.

Watching the cars pass, Ryuto looked on with boredom. He want to see the whole airport, seeing was as if he was transported to a different dimension. He remembered his father had said that it was sunset when they left, he began to wonder if it was still dark out; his sense of time was in disarray. After minutes of waiting, his mother pointed out his aunts car; it was a blue minivan. She then parked on the curb and exited the car. Getting a good look at his aunt Ryuto immediately thought she was very different then his mother. She had bright pink hair that reached a little bit past the base of her neck and parted perfectly that nothing fell onto her face. Her eyes were the same color as her hair. She wore a plain whit t-shirt and blue shorts and the shirt seemed to barely fit her, along with yellow sandals. She then greeted his parents happily.

"Ree! It's so good to see you! It feels like ages!" Sarui said hugging her sister. "It's good to see you too Sarui." his mother said with more composed.

Sarui then turned to Ryunosuke hugging him too.

"It's been so long Ryu!" she said. "Likewise Sarui." Ryunosuke said bowing slightly.

"And this is little Yuki! She looks just like you Ree!" Sarui said gushing over the girl.

She then turned to the two boy and Toshiro rushed over to hug his aunt.

"My, my you've grown a lot Little Shiro." she said. "I finally get to meet you!" Toshiro said excitedly. "Why, I've known you since you were born." Sarui said ruffling his hair.

She then turned to Ryuto and hugged him as well. After being slightly uncomfortable, Ryuto hugged her back. Sarui then pulled away to look at Ryuto.

"You defiantly have grown since the last time I saw you. Pictures do no justice for how tall you are." she said. "When did you see me? I would have remembered." Ryuto said bluntly. "I see you get your bluntness form your father. Well just like your brother, I was around when you were born." Sarui said. "We should get moving Sarui, before traffic gets bad, like really bad." his mother said. "Oh right. Come lets get moving." Sarui said walking over to the drivers seat.

When everyone was settled into the car, Sarui drove off towards he house. As they exited the airport, the city was vibrant as the sun started to rise. There were a lot of lights, and people walking in different directions. Ryuto felt the excitement grow within him. _Looks like Tatsuya was right_ Ryuto thought. As they drove Ryuto could see the places he wanted to explore, everything seemed foreign to him; he took in everything in stride. _Maybe coming here wasn't so bad after all_ Ryuto thought.

"Wow! Everything's amazing!" Toshiro exclaimed.

Everyone in the car laughed at his enthusiasm. Ryuto felt the same way, but decided not to say anything.

"He seems to have gotten the 'interesting hair gene' of the family." Sarui said. "Ryuto right?" Rikai asked. "'Interesting hair gene?'" Ryunosuke asked. "It's the term we gave ourselves since I had pink hair. Ryuto got that 'gene,' he has grey hair." Sarui explained. "So it's not an official science term?" Ryunosuke asked. "Yes it's just something within the family." Rikai said.

After some more time in the car, they finally arrived at Sarui's house. When the suitcases were removed from the car, the family walked into the house. Once inside there was a man waiting with dark brown hair with the same colored eyes. He wore a plain black shirt and jeans.

"Ah, it's good to see you Makoto." Rikai said hugging the man. "Likewise." Makoto said. "Ryuto, Toshiro this is your uncle." Rikai said gesturing to Makoto.

Toshiro then excitedly hugged the man which he returned.

"You've both grown so much." Makoto said happily. "Hello Uncle." Ryuto simply said.

"So sleeping arrangements: Ree and Ryunosuke can use the guest room, Yuki can join you in there. If you need a crib to place her, we can buy one." Sarui said. "No need, we brought one." Rikai said waving her off. "Ok then. As for Ryuto and Toshiro, you two can sleep on a large mattresses on the floor in Satsuki's room." Sarui explained. "Who's Satsuki?" Ryuto asked. "That's true you haven't met yet. She's my daughter and your cousin." Sarui said excitedly. "Where is she? I don't see her around." Rikai asked. "She's at school. The school year is different here." Sarui explained. "Right I forgot." Rikai said. "Why don't you all get settled in and we'll reconvene." Sarui said. "We'll get right on that." Ryunosuke said.

Settling in took longer then anticipated. According to Sarui everything needed to be in a perfect position to make sure nothing seemed out of place. Ryuto simply rolled his eye's whenever his aunt would talk like that. When they had finished, the family went out to eat. Walking around the neighborhood, Ryuto saw a basketball court. He saw a group of boys playing, seeing them play his urge to play began to swell. But he quelled it when he saw his mothers gaze. Ryuto then mearly looked on and continued walked. The family finally arrived at a restaurant and sat down to eat. The adults simply talked about how different life was where they lived, while Toshiro kept looking at everything with astonishment. Meanwhile Yuki just kept sleeping.

"Isn't this great Ryu?" Toshiro asked. "Yeah I guess and quit calling me Ryu that's dads nickname. Unless you don't mind me calling you Shiro?" Ryuto said. "I don't mind. Everyone at school calls me that anyway." Toshiro said. "Whatever." Ryuto said slouching in his chair.

After eating, the group returned to the house where Rikai said she needed to rest and headed to the room. Meanwhile, Ryunosuke and Makoto talked and Sarui went to pickup Satsuki from school. Ryuto sat in the living room watching television, he kept passing channels looking for one in English, since his mother was not joking when she said Japanese seemed different. Toshiro was doodling in a notebook and whenever he finished a drawing, he would show him and Ryuto would just smile and nod. Ryuto then decided to go the park that was nearby. He stood up and called out to his father that he was going to it. After getting approval form his father, Ryuto walked out the door and walked to it. When he arrived there were a few kids most of them were riding the swings and they paid no mind to him. Ryuto then walked over to the basketball court and pickup the ball that someone left behind. He dribbled it, but the ball was flat and needed to be filled up. Ryuto sighed, but nonetheless began to shoot baskets. He did not make many since the ball was flat. Eventually Ryuto left the park, the flat ball did not make shooting any fun and returned to the house. When he returned, his mother had woken up and was feeding Yuki with Toshiro nearby; while his father was still with Makoto. A few minutes passed and Sarui returned with Satsuki behind her. Ryuto looked at Satsuki and she seemed to look exactly like her mother same hair and eyes. With a smile on her face she rushed over to Rikai and hugged her.

"Hi Aunt Rikai!" she said happily. "It's so good to see you Satsuki." Rikai said.

She then let go of Rikai and hugged Ryunosuke.

"It's good to see you little one." he said softly.

"Satsuki I'd like you to meet your cousins," Sarui said, "the one with the grey hair is Ryuto, the boy with black hair is Toshiro, and baby girl is Yuki."

"It's nice to meet all of you." she said bowing.

Toshiro then rushed over and hugged Satsuki, which she returned happily, while Ryuto simply waved hello. Satsuki then walked over to Yuki who smiled seeing the pink haired girl. Soon night fell onto the household and Rikai and Makoto were cooking dinner.

"I see you still can't cook Sarui." Ryunosuke said. "Yeah well, I never picked up on the skill." Sarui said laughing.

Meanwhile in the living room, Satsuki was talking with Toshiro, while Ryuto simply sat down watching television.

" _How do you like Japan so far?_ " Satsuki asked Ryuto abruptly and in English. "It's fine so far… _Wait a minute you just spoke English!?_ " Ryuto said surprised. " _Why wouldn't I? My mother was born in the United States, she teaches me some._ " Satsuki explained. " _That's way more then some._ " Ryuto said. "Anyways," Satsuki said switching back to Japanese, "I find it funny your siblings have names related to the color white and they have no features with the color, while you do and your name means something else."

Ryuto had never really thought about that. He never assumed his name meant anything. He only knew what his parents told him.

"Well I'm named 'Ryuto' because my parents wanted to continue the RR trend of our initials. That's not the case with my siblings; Toshiro is named that because when he was born it looked like he was going to have white hair, but as he grew it turned black. Yuki is named how she is because my parents said if they had a girl that was going to be her name." Ryuto explained.

"Interesting." Satsuki said. "What?" Ryuto asked raising an eyebrow. "Your Japanese could use some work is all." Satsuki said. "I noticed." Ryuto said.

Eventually, the kids were called over to have dinner the family sat together all sharing stories of their respective lives. Ryuto stayed silent, only listening to the conversations; he was not fully invested in any of them. After dinner, they all split up to where they were going to sleep. When Ryuto arrived at Satsuki's room, Toshiro was already asleep on the bed.

"Looks like he's out of it." Satsuki said walking in. "Yeah, he was pretty excited when we got here." Ryuto said.

He then sat down on the corner of the mattress looking through his backpack.

"You know, you remind me a lot of Dai-chan." Satsuki said casually. "What kind of name is Dai-chan? Who is that anyways?" Ryuto asked still looking through his backpack. "He's a friend of mine I've known him, well forever." Satsuki said. "I see." Ryuto then closed his backpack and rested on the bed. "I'm sure if you two meet, you'll become friends right away." Satsuki said with a smile. "If I meet him." Ryuto said. "I'm sure he'll be at the park tomorrow. Well, not the one by our house it's the one farther down the road. Dai-chan lives closer to that one." Satsuki said. "If I can convince my mom to let me go that far, then I would go." Ryuto said. "Then we'll ask, I'm sure she'll let us, Ryu-chan." Satsuki said with a smile. "What kind of name is Ryu-chan? Is that a nickname? Are you making fun of me or something?" Ryuto asked angrily.

Satsuki began to laugh and turned away from him. Ryuto then began to shout asking her what she meant with the name. After some arguing, the two cousins fell asleep. Outside the room stood Rikai and Sarui talking.

"Look's like they're getting along. Satsuki even gave Ryuto a nickname." Rikai said. "From the looks of it, he doesn't like nicknames." Sarui said. "Only if you call him Ryu, since his father has the same nickname." Rikai said. "I'm sure he'll grow into it." Sarui said. "I hope so. Anyways, goodnight. Tomorrow is a long day." Rikai said entering the guest room.

The next morning, the family members all woke up at their own pace, and Ryuto was the last to wake up. During breakfast, his mother said they were going to go sight seeing in Tokyo. Ryuto showed no visible excitement, but inside he was jumping with joy. His brother meanwhile showed his excitement by yelling loudly. Ryuto covered his ears while the adults simply laughed at his enthusiasm. After getting ready, the family left at around 11 am towards the city. Once there, the city was full of people as well as bright lights for a morning. Ryuto walked around in the bustling streets, people passed by him going wherever they were going, cars would stop due to the large crowds of people, and at every street corner there was something new. Ryuto knew big cities, but the one he was in was defiantly the largest. He marveled at all the sights around him, there was so much to see. His parents would occasionally stop at stores for reasons Ryuto did not care about. For Ryuto the hours passed like seconds. When they began to leave the city back towards his aunts house, it was already 6 pm.

When they arrived at the house, Ryuto called out that he was heading to the nearby park. After getting the approval to go by his mother, Ryuto bolted out of the house towards the park. When he arrived, there was only one person there. It was a boy and he had black hair parted to both sides, with a few strands falling onto his face, along with blue eyes and mischievous smile. He was shooting by himself on the basketball court, his makes and miss pattern was inconsistent as he would make one then miss five to make four and miss one. Ryuto moved to the swings to watch the boy and after a little while a large group of boys were gathered on the court. They all spoke so fast, that Ryuto could not comprehend what they were saying. The boy with black hair then looked towards Ryuto for a few moments before he turned back to the group of boys. He then started to jog and Ryuto noticed he was headed towards him.

"Hey there." the boy greeted. "Hi." Ryuto replied simply. "We're a player short and wanted to know if you wanted to play?" the boy asked.

Ryuto stayed silent for a moment trying to decipher what the boy had said. Once he did figure it out he responded.

"Basketball?" Ryuto asked. "Yeah, it's a lot of fun. So wanna join?" the boy asked with a smile. "S-s-sure." Ryuto said standing up. "Great come on." the boy said turning away from him.

He then stopped for a moment and turned back to Ryuto.

"What's your name? I forgot to ask." the boy asked. "R-r-ryuto." Ryuto replied. "Nice to meet you, my names Takao." the boy, now named Takao responded.

The two then jogged to the court to begin playing. The group of boys were quick to include Ryuto as part of their group treating him as someone they knew rather than just meeting him. The group played until the sun had fully set and only the court lights lit up the court. Sitting on the bench to catch his breath, Takao sat next to Ryuto and simply smiled.

"You're not from around here are you?" Takao said. "W-w-what do y-you m-mean?" Ryuto asked. "I can tell you're not from around here, more specifically this neighborhood. So where are you from?" Takao asked. "I'm f-f-from the U.S.A." Ryuto said. "Wait really? You're form America? That's so cool!" Takao said surprised. "It's n-not that b-big a d-deal." Ryuto said. "Well if I'm being honest, I'm not from around here either. My grandparents live in this neighborhood. Staying with them for a while. Since you're from America, who do you know from around here?" Takao asked. "My aunt and uncle." Ryuto said. "Are you here on vacation?" Takao asked. "Yeah." Ryuto said. "Dang you Americans and your two month summer vacations, you guys have it lucky." Takao said. "I g-g-guess so." Ryuto said. "Hey how about I give you like my phone number or something so we can stay in contact. I mean, we are friends, right?" Takao asked. "Yeah, d-defiantly. A-A-Although I don't have a p-p-phone." Ryuto said. "E-mail?" Takao asked. "Yeah I do h-have that. I'll a-also g-give you my m-mailing a-address for l-l-letters." Ryuto said. "That's cool. It was nice to meet you Ryu-chan." Takao said with a smile.

As Ryuto heard what he was called his smile faded, he had no idea what that meant and did not know if he was being insulted.

"W-what d-does that m-mean?" Ryuto asked. "What does what mean?" Takao asked confused. "The w-whole 'Ryu-chan' t-thing? My c-cousin c-called me that too." Ryuto asked again. "Oh, it's an honorific. It's meant to show respect, and -chan is usually meant for friends." Takao explained. "I p-p-probably w-won't use them. S-so my n-nickname to you w-will be Tao. Is that alright?" Ryuto asked. "Sure, this means we're really friends." Takao said smiling.

Ryuto responded with his own smile, until he heard his mother calling out for him.

"I n-need to g-get b-back. N-nice meeting you." Ryuto said as he started to jog towards his aunts house. "Next time we meet how about you teach me some English?" Takao called out. " _Sounds good_!" Ryuto called out.

When he arrived at the house, his mother scolded him for being out for so long, but her mood softened when Ryuto explained what he had done. His mother then sent him to take a shower before eating and Ryuto walked up the stairs to do as she had asked. Soon after his father walked over to talk to his wife.

"Looks like Ryuto made a friend." he said. "Yeah, I so glad he did." she answered. "I told you he would come around." Ryunosuke said. "You were right." Rikai said.

The next morning, the family once again toured the city. It was just as busy as ever, people walking by head on place while others headed the other. They reached a shopping district where each store sold something else, one store sold electronic devices, another sold clothes, another sold souvenirs, and another sold CD's. As Ryuto passed the music store, the music they were playing caught his attention. As he listened to the song he found himself liking the music and the artist. He tugged on his mothers arm and asked if he could check out the store his mother nodded and said she would wait outside. Ryuto entered the store and asked the clerk what was the name of the artist playing. The clerk replied saying that it was (insert Japanese band here)'s newest album. Deciding that he liked the music, he purchased the disc and returned to his mothers side. Rikai meanwhile smiled as she could see Ryuto slowly adjusting to being in Japan. When Ryuto arrived back at the house, he wen to the computer and put the CD in and listened to every song; he enjoyed everyone of them. While listening, he cousin called to him, to see if he wanted the meet the person she kept referring to as Dai-chan. Ryuto agreed the the two exited the house. As they walked, Ryuto looked back to see that they were going in the opposite direction of the park nearby. His mother's words began to play through his head.

"You know Satsuki, my mom won't let me go out this far." Ryuto said nervously. "Don't worry, I'll vouch for you." Satsuki said with a smile. "That's not exactly reassuring." Ryuto said.

Their walk concluded, when the arrived at another park. Ryuto looked around and noticed a young boy playing with boys older and taller than him. He watched as the shorter boy easily passed by his defenders and scored. After a few more minutes, the older boys left all of them saying the other boy was too good. Satsuki then motioned for Ryuto to follow her, which he did. Entering the court, Ryuto managed to get a better look at the boy. He had navy blue hair and eyes of the same color, with his skin being tanner then most. The boy waved at Satsuki and something to her that Ryuto could not understand. He then asked her to translate what he had said, but she could the boy introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Aomine Daiki." Aomine said with a smile. "H-H-Hello A-A-Aomine. _My name is Ryuto Rishihara_." Ryuto said nervously.

The boy then began to laugh and said something else, but Ryuto could not understand it. He turned to Satsuki who was snickering a bit, but stopped when Ryuto looked at her. She then translated what Aomine had said. Embarrassed by what Aomine had said, he changed the subject by asking if he played basketball. Which was obvious since he was holding one. After responding, Aomine challenged him to a game, which Ryuto quickly accepted. The two boys then squared up to play, with Aomine starting with the ball. Aomine did a crossover and got by Ryuto. Ryuto managed to keep and forced Aomine to shoot a fade away. The ball bounced off the back board and into the hoop.

"Make it take it? Or traditional?" Aomine asked grabbing the ball. "T-T-Traditional." Ryuto said. "OK then, let's go." Aomine said passing the ball to Ryuto.

Ryuto set up for his own drive. He began to dribble with his right hand and then quickly passed it over to his left and blew past Aomine. Aomine looked back to see Ryuto scoring a layup. _This could be interesting_ Aomine thought.

"Hey not bad. No one's been able to move past me like that." Aomine complimented. "I'm j-just light on my f-f-feet." Ryuto said.

Aomine then set up for his own attack he moved forwards doing crossovers as he did. After once crossover, he moved to the right. Ryuto was quick to follow, Aomine then stopped his drive and tried to shoot. Ryuto managed to block the shot and the ball then rolled out of bounds. Aomine jogged over to get the ball.

"I'm impressed, blocking me like that." Aomine said. "I'm j-just t-tall for my a-age." Ryuto said. "Ehhhh, we're about the same," Aomine said, "anyways let's keep going. My ball again."

The back and forth between the two boys continued. With each either blocking each other or both scoring right after the other. The continued to play as sunset covered the court, after one final shot, Ryuto had won. The two boys smiled and laughed as the sat on the bench discussing the match. The fun ended when Ryuto heard his mother call out his name.

"W-Well l-looks like I have to go." Ryuto said. "Sure thing. Today was fun." Aomine said. "Yeah it was." Ryuto said. "You play really well." Aomine said. "You too." Ryuto said. "Hope we can play again, you put up a better challenge then most of the boys around here." Aomine said. "I'll get s-s-stronger and m-mop the f-f-floor with you!" Ryuto said.

The two boys then laughed and fist bumped.

"Yeah, but next time try to speak better Japanese." Aomine said. "I will. _And you should learn better English_." Ryuto said.

"There you are!" a voice called out.

Ryuto turned to see his mother staring at him and she was angry.

"I told you not to venture out this far from the house!" his mother said. "I know, Satsuki brought me here." Ryuto said shifting the blame. "It doesn't matter you know the rules and-," his mother stopped as she saw Aomine, "Who's this?" "My name is Aomine. I didn't mean to cause trouble, I live in the opposite direction of Satsuki's house, so this is where we meet up." Aomine said. "Well as long as she knows where she is I guess there's no problem." his mother said.

"So Ryuto is this a new friend?" his mother asked. "Definitely." Ryuto said. "Well how about you three get together and I'll take a picture." his mother said happily.

"Dude, your mom did a complete one-eighty in personality." Aomine whispered. "I k-know, she's like that." Ryuto said.

The three kids then grouped up and took a picture. Walking back home, Ryuto looked at the picture and liked it; he had made two friends in two days, Japan was turing out to be better then Ryuto was expecting. The next few days in Tokyo passed as quick as they came. Luckily Ryuto had managed to play with Takao and Aomine one more time before heading to Kyoto. Parting with his relatives was sad, but the goodbye seemed unbearable to Toshiro; who began to cry as they pulled out of the train station. He stopped crying after he fell asleep on the train. Teh train traveled fast and not much could be seen while looking out the window; everything was a blur.

"Who do we know that lives in Kyoto?" Ryuto asked his parents. "Well you met your mothers side of the family now it's time to meet mine." his father answered. "Last time I checked, most, if not all, of your side of the family lives in the States." Ryuto said. "Well they're more like distant relatives. They're tided to our family by, well, family; they're not blood related." his father explained. "You could have just led off with with that." Ryuto said turing back to face the window.

"That boy." his father said sighing. "I think he understood, but I think he just misses his friends." his mother said.

The train ride to Kyoto was long as they had arrived at sunset. After getting off the train, his mother had something to say.

"So there was a complication at where we were supposed to stay. Luckily I found a nice hotel to stay at for some time." his mother said.

Ryuto and Toshiro nodded in response and followed their parents to where they needed to go. While walking, Ryuto began to take notice of the city. It had a classical aesthetic while still feeling modern. They arrived at the hotel, which had the same feel as the city. After settling in, Ryuto looked out the window to the see the city. Its sunset was even more beautiful then in Tokyo.

"You like the view?" his father asked. "It's pretty. Tatsuya said it would look this way and he wasn't wrong." Ryuto said. "I'm glad you like it. Your great-grandparents were born in this city you know." his father said. "I thought you said they moved to the US in, like, the 1930's?" Ryuto asked. "Those were your grandparents and they moved to the US in the 40's." his father clarified. "Can I ask you something dad?" Ryuto asked. "Sure." his father with a smile. "Why did some of the people I met in Tokyo call me by my last name? It felt odd, so I told them to call me by my first name. They also used something called honorifics. Takao explained to me what they were, but why use them?" Ryuto asked. "Well it's more respectful to call someone by their family name; so your the name your friend told you was probably his last name. As for honorifics, it's more or less the same principle." his father explained. "And what's the name of the people we're going to see?" Ryuto asked. "They're called the Akashi family." his father answered. "Akashi, huh?" Ryuto said thinking.

His father smiled and ruffled his sons hair a bit before standing. He walked over his wife and sat down next to her.

"Are you going to show them your old family home?" Rikai asked. "I was planning on to. The gathering isn't until two days from now." Ryunosuke said. "Why couldn't we stay there again?" Riaki asked. "They said it wasn't ready, but we could go to see the place. Dad decided to keep the house, to stay if he ever came to visit. Not that he has as of late." Ryunosuke said. "Aren't you friends with the grounds keeper?" Rikai asked. "I've known him since I was little. He's practically my uncle. So when he said it wasn't ready, I took his word for it." Ryunosuke explained.

Rikai sighed and turned her attention back to Yuki who was starting to wake up from her nap.

The next morning, the Rishihara family prepared for the day. Ryunosuke had said that there was going to be some interesting sightseeing and that they were going to learn a bit more about his side of the family. Toshiro was excited as he was almost literally bouncing off the walls. Meanwhile, Ryuto tired his best to seem indifferent about everything. After walking around the main city and seeing all the sights, his father guided them to the outskirts of the city. Once they reached their destination, his father pointed out one house. It had a black roof and the walls were painted white, with a sliding door for an entrance.

"What is this place dad?" Toshiro asked excitedly. "It's the Rishihara family estates. It belonged to your great-grandfather and everyone before him." his father explained. "Shouldn't look old?" Ryuto asked shrugging.

His father let out a small laugh before answering.

"Well, with each passing generation, it's improved and modernized. More on the inside then the outside." his father explained.

They then entered through the gate and a man who seemed to be in his sixties with white hair and glasses, walked up to them. His mother and father bowed to greet him, which the man returned.

"Boys I'd like you to meet Satoshi; he's the caretaker of the house." his father said. "Pleasure to meet you two fine gentlemen. Your grandfather speaks highly of both of you." Satoshi said. "You know Grandpa Ryō?" Toshiro asked. "Well of course I do." Satoshi said laughing. "Now please come inside. There is a lot of your families history here." Satoshi said.

When they entered the house, it was the same as it was in the city a mixture of old and new. There was one room in particular that interested Ryuto: the room with all the pictures of their extended family. He saw pictures that dated back years. He looked at one picture and saw his father with someone he did not recognize.

"That's a relative that is not related by blood." his father said behind him. "Jeez dad don't scare me like that." Ryuto said. "I apologize." his father said with a smile. "Who is he?" Ryuto asked. "His name is Toshinobu Akashi." his father answered. "So the person we're going to meet?" Ryuto asked. "Indeed." his father answered.

Then Satoshi's voiced called out for his father and he walked over to meet him. Ryuto placed back down the picture and continued to look around. He seemed marveled with his history, more so then he intended. He spent the rest of the time there in that one room taking everything in. As night descended on the city, the Rishihara family returned to their hotel room. As soon as they got there Toshiro went to the bed and fell asleep. Ryuto, once again, stared out the window he never expected to stay in the one room the whole day. As he looked out, he saw his dad's reflection walk up to him.

"Did you like visiting there?" he asked. "It was cool, seeing all our history." Ryuto said. "Would you like to return there?" he asked. "I didn't get to see the rest of the house, so yeah." Ryuto said. "That's good because starting tomorrow night we'll be staying there." he said with a smile. "That's cool Dad!" Ryuto said hugging him. "Now go take a shower. There's somewhere we need to be tomorrow, and I'm waking you up early." his father said.

Ryuto groaned as he entered the bathroom. His father smiled and sat next to his wife who had just finished putting Yuki to sleep.

"Looks like he likes it here." Ryunosuke said. "Indeed he does. I knew he would." Rikai said smiling.

The next morning consisted of checking out of the hotel and settling down at the Rishihara estate. The brothers shared a room with a bed on two opposite sides of the room. Toshiro jumped on one random bed claiming it as his. Ryuto simply rolled his eyes and placed his bag o the other bed. He laid down his suitcase on the side of the bed. After settling in, Ryuto walked into the room with all the pictures; finding new ones that he had not seen the last time.

"I didn't expect you to be so fond of this this room Ryuto-san." a voice said behind him.

Ryuto turned to see Satoshi. He seemed to be wearing some type of dress with a coat hung on his shoulders. Ryuto raised an eyebrow at the sight.

"Ah, I see you are curious as to what I'm wearing." Satoshi said. "That and just call me Ryuto." he said. "I'll keep that in mind. Well to explain my attire, I'm wearing a yukata and this is just a normal coat." Satoshi explained with a smile. "It looks like a dress." Ryuto said bluntly. "I see you inherited your father's bluntness. That seems to be a recurring quality with Rishihara men." Satoshi said laughing.

Ryuto turned back to seeing all the pictures. He found pictures of his grandparents and a few of his great-grandparents; he had never met his great-grandparents, but he had been told stories about them. So much history and yet he did not know all of it. His mother then called him over and the family exited the house in order to see the city again.

The next morning, Ryuto woke up with his mother calling out to him. Walking into the kitchen, his mother was preparing breakfast. After breakfast, his father walked up to him and handed him clothes.

"You're going to need to wear this to where we are going today." his father said. "What is it?" Ryuto asked. "I'll explain later, but for now come with me so I can help you put it on." his father said.

After putting on what his father had given him, Ryuto groaned.

"Why am I wearing a dress?" Ryuto asked. "It's not a dress. For this event you need to wear it; it's called a kimono." his father explained. "It's a dress dad." Ryuto said. "Call it what you want." his father said. "Where are we going anyway?" Ryuto asked. "A funeral service." his father said somberly.

Ryuto stayed quiet after that. Once they arrived at their destination, it was a large house. They were let in by a butler who also wore a kimono. Ryuto looked down at his and noticed it was black. _Why didn't I notice this the first time_ Ryuto thought. They were led to the backyard of the house and the grounds were humongous. Everyone was gather around the grounds, and most of the people were people Ryuto had never seen before; but his father did as he greeted almost everyone he saw.

"Most of these people are your father's extended family." his mother explained.

Soon after they arrived, the ceremony began. Ryuto did not who the person was, but everyone there seemed to care a lot about the deceased. Once the ceremony ended everyone gathered inside the house. Ryuto stayed close to his father, not wanting to separate from him.

"Come with me Ryuto. There's someone I want you to meet." his father said.

Walking in between others, they reached the person his father wanted to meet. The man was shorter then his father, but not by much. He had greying dark brown hair and a stern expression.

"Ryunosuke! It's been too long!" the man greeted with his expression softening. "It has been Toshinobu." his father said bowing. "How have you been? How are the United States?" Toshinobu asked. "Fine. I'm still at the same job as I was and Rikai is still a teacher at the university." his father said. "That's good." Toshinobu said.

Toshinobu then looked down at Ryuto and smiled at him. He then turned back to face his father.

"Who might this be?" Toshinobu asked motioning to Ryuto. "Meet my son Ryuto." his father said. "He looks just like you. Minus the hair." Toshinobu said. "So I've been told." his father said. "He has to be Seijūrō's age?" Toshinobu asked. "If Seijūrō is eight then yes." his father answered.

Toshinobu then turned to Ryuto and gave him a small smile.

"Seijūrō should be near the kitchen. Why don't you introduce yourself?" Toshinobu said.

Ryuto looked towards his father. Who simply nodded and smiled. Ryuto nodded back and walked towards the kitchen.

"That boy defiantly has interesting hair. Was he born with that color?" Toshinobu asked. "Yes. No one really understood how it happened, but he doesn't seem to mind. I think he takes pride in it." Ryunosuke answered.

Ryuto worked his way through the people, trying to find someone named Seijūrō. He was not given anything to go on; how he looked, how he was, Ryuto was only given his location. Reaching and area where there was no one, Ryuto looked around to see a bright red haired boy looking out a window. Ryuto slowly walked towards him. Then the boy turned his head. His eyes were the same color as his hair, he had an autoritative aura around him; same as the man Ryuto had just met. His eyes seemed to study Ryuto sizing him up.

"Uhhh…Hi." Ryuto said nervously. "Who are you?" the boy asked. "My name is Ryuto Rishihara." Ryuto answered. "Rishihara…I've heard that name before." the boy said. "W-w-well i-it is my l-l-last n-name. It's a-also my f-father's l-l-last n-name, h-his n-name is Ryunosuke." Ryuto said. "My father talks about that man sometimes." the boy said. "W-Who is y-your f-father?" Ryuto asked. "Toshinobu Akashi." the boy said. "That m-means y-your S-Seijūrō." Ryuto said. "That is my name." the boy said.

Seijūrō then turned away and continued to look out the window. Ryuto stayed put for some reason he could not move.

"Why are you still here?" Seijūrō asked not facing Ryuto. "W-Well I don't k-know a-anyone h-here. Y-You're the o-only p-p-person who's t-talked t-to m-me." Ryuto answered.

Seijūrō sighed and turned to face Ryuto.

"To be honest, the same goes for me. I only know a few people." Seijūrō said. "W-Want to t-talk?" Ryuto asked. "Isn't that what we're doing right now?" Seijūrō asked. "R-Right." Ryuto said embarrassed. "Where are you from?" Seijūrō asked. "The United States. I w-was b-born t-t-there." Ryuto said. "So you're a foreigner. I've met a couple, mostly dad's business partners." Seijūrō said. "So your d-dad r-runs a b-business?" Ryuto asked. "Yeah a really big one," Seijūrō said, "what do your parents do?" "My d-dad w-works f-for a c-corporation, that I d-don't k-know the n-name of, and my m-mom w-works as a Japanese t-teacher at a u-u-university. What d-does your m-mom do?" Ryuto asked.

Ryuto noticed as tears began to form in Seijūrō's eyes. Ryuto's own eyes widened realizing what he had said. In his mind he began to panic, trying to figure out a way to apologize.

"I'm s-sorry. I d-didn't m-mean a-anything by it." Ryuto apologized.

Seijūrō wiped the tears away and looked out the window again. Ryuto looked towards where he was looking and saw a small basketball court.

"Y-You p-play b-basketball?" Ryuto asked. "Yeah my mom introduced me to it. She loved to watch me play. I wasn't all that good, but she encouraged me to continue. I'm thinking about quitting though." Seijūrō said somberly. "D-Don't q-quit! B-Basketball is s-so much fun! If you w-want I c-can p-play with you!" Ryuto said excitedly. "It's not the same without my mother." Seijūrō said burying his face into his legs. "I c-can t-teach you n-new t-things! Also m-make y-you love the s-sport a-again!" Ryuto said. "Can you?" Seijūrō said lifting his head. "Defiantly," Ryuto said with a smile, "just t-tell m-me w-when."

Ryuto and Seijūrō continued to talk and quickly became friends. Eventually Ryuto's father walked up to him and told him it was time to leave. Ryuto said goodbye to Seijūrō and went with his father. Ryuto's father was then stopped by Seijūrō's father.

"Looks like out two sons became friends." Toshinobu said. "I hope it helped Seijūrō." Ryunosuke said. "I think so. By the way Seijūrō mentioned something about wanting to play basketball. Is it possible for Ryuto to come by while you're here?" Toshinobu asked. "I'm sure he'll love to do it. Basketball is his favorite thing to do." Ryunosuke said.

The next day Ryuto arrived at Seijūrō's house. He was greeted by Seijūrō, who was holding a ball under his arm. The two highfived and headed to the basketball court. Meanwhile, their fathers watched from the window.

"Thank you bringing him. Seijūrō looks happy." Toshinobu said. "Yeah he does. Though if they play against each other, I'm fairly confident that Ryuto will win." Ryunosuke said with a smile. "Seijūrō is trained to be a master in every field, I doubt he would loose." Toshinobu replied.

On the court, Ryuto and Seijūrō set up for a one-on-one. Seijūrō started with the ball and Ryuto studied his dribble. _For being a beginner, he's pretty good_ Ryuto thought. Seijūrō then drove towards the basket, but Ryuto swiped the ball away. He began to dribble and waited for Seijūrō to ready himself.

"You h-h-have a good d-dribble, but y-your ball h-handling c-could be b-better." Ryuto commented. "How would you do it then?" Seijūrō asked. "Like this." Ryuto answered.

Ryuto then sped up his dribble. He then did a crossover and got past Seijūrō. Seijūrō looked back to see Ryuto scoring making a lay up. The ball entered the hoop and then fell to the ground. Ryuto picked up the ball and turned to face Seijūrō. He had a look of pure amazement on his face.

"Whoa, what was that?" Seijūrō asked excitedly. "It w-was just a c-c-crossover." Ryuto said shrugging. "Teach me how to do that." Seijūrō said. "When your ball h-handling gets b-better." Ryuto said.

The continued to play until the afternoon. In that time, Ryuto taught Seijūrō better ball control and he managed to break away from Ryuto a couple of times during their one-on-ones. After that, Ryuto's father called out to him, which meant he had to leave. Ryuto turned to say goodbye to Seijūrō, but his face showed sadness.

"We can p-play again some t-time." Ryuto said. "Will you come back?" Seijūrō asked. "It a-all d-depends on my p-parents." Ryuto said. "Ok then." Seijūrō said. "Just keep p-practicing what I t-taught you." Ryuto said.

Seijūrō nodded and watched as Ryuto said goodbye and walked away. Ryuto returned two more times to Seijūrō's house, and every time he did Seijūrō got better. He quickly mastered ball control and his dribbling was at the same level as Ryuto's. During their one-on-ones, they were tied in wins. During their last meeting, the two sat on a bench catching their breaths after playing a one-on-one.

"I almost won!" Seijūrō exclaimed. "I'm just too f-fast." Ryuto said smugly. "Next time we play I'll win for sure." Seijūrō said. "I'm s-s-sure the n-n-next t-t-time we p-play you'll p-probably be b-better then me." Ryuto said. "I doubt it. You probably haven't gone all out against me." Seijūrō said. "I d-don't k-know what my a-all out e-even is." Ryuto said. "Neither do I." Seijūrō said laughing.

Ryuto then began to laugh as well, but quickly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Seijūrō asked. "Tomorrow I return to Tokyo, and a few days after that I return home." Ryuto said saddened. "That's right. I forgot." Seijūrō

The two remained silent for a moment. They wanted to spend more time together, but time was not on their side.

"How about we stay in contact? Like mail or something." Seijūrō said. "Yeah sure. Before I leave I'll write down my address." Ryuto said happily. "If you ever visit again, be sure to say hi to me." Seijūrō said. "I will." Ryuto said.

When the Rishihara family returned to Tokyo, he was welcomed once again by his aunt and uncle. He managed to see both Takao and Aomine one last time. He told Takao that he was teaching someone and Takao simply laughed saying how could he teach. With Aomine the two continued their competition with Ryuto in the lead in their games. Soon after that, Ryuto left Japan and returned to the United States. He entered middle school and became the captain of the team in his second year. He would not return to Japan until his parents told him about studying abroad and he wanted to go to Japan. He went to visit schools during the spring of his last year of middle school. He was excited to return, but was not expecting everything and everyone to change so much.

"So what schools have you decided to see?" Rikai asked. "Well, I've kept in touch with everyone I met last time we came, and these are some of the schools I have in mind. Takao said he was going to Shutoku, Satsuki said she was going to Tōō, and Seijūrō said he was going to Rakuzan. The first two are in Tokyo, while the other is in Kyoto." Ryuto answered. "What about that school Seirin? You had that one in mind as well." his mother said. "I'll have to see it. While doing research, I noticed that it's a relatively new school." Ryuto said. "Well then, you have quite the list." his mother said. "Yeah I do." Ryuto said.

Arriving in Tokyo, his aunt picked him and his mother up at the airport, just as she did the last time. This Ryuto was not against saying hello and gave his aunt a hug. Arriving at the house, he greeted his uncle and cousin; who were just as happy to see him.

"How've you been Ryu-chan?" Satsuki asked. "Can you please stop with the nicknames? And I've been good. We managed to win the state championships three times in a row." Ryuto said. "I'm sure it was easy with you leading the team." Satsuki said. "We had some tough games. Just because I'm the captain doesn't make the team invincible." Ryuto said. "At least your team seems to have fun." Satsuki said somberly. "What's that supposed to mean?" Ryuto asked raising an eyebrow. "Nothing, just something that came out." Satsuki said laughing nervously. "Then I won't push it." Ryuto said.

"You should come visit at school at some point." Satsuki said changing the subject. "Oh yeah, you told me you and Seijūrō going to the same school; and Aomine is there as well." Ryuto said. "Will you?" Satsuki asked. "I'll think about it." Ryuto said. "We also have a game coming it, if you want to watch that as well." Satsuki said. "As I said, I'll think about it." Ryuto repeated.

Ryuto spent the next day visiting one of the schools on his list. The first was Shutoku. He took everything in, seeing everything and making mental notes. It defiantly looked old as some of the buildings could use updates, but according the the guide they were in the process of doing so. At the gym, it was multipurpose. There were lines painted onto the court for different sports. The more noticeable ones were for basketball and volleyball. The guide said that the school prided itself on the basketball team and that they always made it far in big tournaments. Ryuto made a mental note about sports, since it was what he liked the most. After visiting the school, Ryuto and his mother stopped to eat.

"So did you like it?" his mother asked. "It was old, that's for sure." Ryuto answered. "Other then that." his mother said. "Yeah it was alright, but just didn't click with me. If I do end up going there, at least I'll have Takao with me." Ryuto said shrugging. "You built quite the friendship." his mother said smiling. "He his the first friend I made here, not including family." Ryuto said.

The next day, they visited Tōō. The school was not as old as Shutoku and not as well known, which for Ryuto worked out. The facilities were a bit more modern and up to date. The guide said they were not very well known for sports, but as of late they have received many students who excelled at sports. The gym was also well kept and another multipurpose gym. After seeing the school, his mother asked him again what he liked. His feelings were the same as Shutoku, the school did not seem to click with him.

"Question, am I going to stay with Aunty and Uncle?" Ryuto asked. "I thought you could live by yourself. Only for a time not forever, and remember this is only for a year. If want to return after you finish one year you can." his mother said. "Yeah I know. By the way can I go to Satsuki's schools game today? It's in two hours." Ryuto asked. "I don't see why not." his mother said. "Thanks Mom." Ryuto said happily.

It took some time, but they had reached the arena for the game. Satsuki had said that they were in the middle of their last tournament in middle school. The arena where they were playing at was humongous and there were many spectators. Ryuto saw Satsuki's team and immediately saw Seijūrō and Aomine waling onto the court. Ryuto looked at their faces Aomine seemed indifferent to everything, as if he had no purpose for being there. As for Seijūrō, he still his authoritative aura around him, but it was more intense; as if you did not respect him you would die. The overall aura of the team seemed the same as Aomine, them being there was a waste of time. Ryuto frowned, he did not remember Aomine or Seijūrō being like that. As he watched he saw just how strong the team was, the opponent just stood there not bothering to do anything. The score just kept piling up and Teiko, as that was the schools name, showed no signs of stopping the offensive. Ryuto could not stand to watch such coldhearted basketball and how his friends acted towards a sport they loved. Ryuto decided that he would talk to both of them and understand what was happening. Returning to his aunt and uncles house, he went to go talk to Satsuki. He lightly knocked on the door until Satsuki allowed for him to enter. Ryuto looked at her and saw a very somber expression on her face.

"I went to the game today." Ryuto said. "You did? What did you think?" Satsuki asked. "That the team doesn't enjoy basketball. Which is stupid because both Aomine and Seijūrō love basketball. I've seen it myself." Ryuto said. "As of late they've changed." Satsuki said. "Is it possible for me to talk to them?" Ryuto asked. "Tomorrow we don't have game, but there will be practice. Come by after school and I'm sure one of them will be there." Satsuki said. "I'll ask my mom after we visit a school tomorrow." Ryuto said exiting her room.

The next day, Ryuto and his mother visited Seirin. It was one of the newer schools having opened recently. The facilities were as new as the school and it was obvious as everything seemed to shine. The guide said their student population was small since they had just opened, but the following year it was supposed to grow. They passed by the gym which was, once again a multipurpose one. Overall the school seemed to have a better impression on him then the other two they saw. When the tour ended, Ryuto asked his mother if he could visit Satsuki at school. His mother let him and said that he should return to the house with her. Ryuto nodded and headed to Teiko Middle School. Once there he noticed just how big the place was. Ryuto stood at the entrance and stared at everything. He then took a deep breath and walked into the school. As he walked, he would strange looks from the students. Ryuto payed no attention to them as he continued to walk. He looked at all the buildings and wondered where the gym was.

"I'm so lost." Ryuto said quietly.

"Do you need help?" a voice asked from behind him.

Ryuto turned to see a girl standing behind him. She had her head a bit tilted and she seemed to by studying Ryuto.

"Uh, yeah. I'm looking for a friend. She goes to this school. She said she would be at the basketball gym, but I don't know where that is." Ryuto said. "I could take you to it." the girl said. "Thanks that would mean a lot." Ryuto said.

The two then began to walk and Ryuto continued to look at everything around him.

"Does you friend play basketball?" the girl asked. "No. She's the manager." Ryuto answered. "Then she should be at the first string gym." the girl said. "Wait, woah. First string gym? You're saying there's more than one gym?" Ryuto asked. "Yeah. What did you expect with a school as large as this one?" the girl said. "Jeez this place is huge." Ryuto said silently.

As they walked, they reached the back part of the school where all the sports areas were. The girl then pointed out the gym where Satsuki was supposed to be. The girl was not kidding when there was more than one gym. There were three gyms each one lessening in size. As Ryuto walked up to the first string gym, he felt a cold aura coming out of the place. He then walked up to the door and looked into the gym. The team was practicing, but it did not look like they were really practicing. Ryuto scanned the gym he found no sign of Aomine and Seijūrō stood by overlooking everything. Ryuto studied his cousin, up close he could feel what he had felt earlier. It was not that he had authority over the team, he was feared by them. Whenever someone talked to him, they did not hold eye contact. He then saw Satsuki on the other side of the gym she had the same somber expression as she took down notes. She looked up and saw Ryuto causing her face to brighten up a bit. She then turned to exit the gym. Ryuto had one last look around the gym and the feeling of cold never left. _As far s I know this isn't basketball the way it was meant to be played_ Ryuto thought. He then turned to leave, not noticing that once person had seen him since he arrived. The boy's curiosity had peaked and wondered who the mystery person was.

Outside the gym, Ryuto met up with Satsuki and the two began to talk about what Ryuto had just seen.

"That was anything but basketball." Ryuto said. "Would you believe me if I told you it wasn't always like this?" Satsuki said. "I don't know. After seeing the game and then this, I don't know what to say." Ryuto said. "Maybe when you come here officially you can show them how fun basketball can be." Satsuki said. "Maybe. I didn't even see Aomine. Where is he?" Ryuto asked. "I don't really know. He barely, if ever, comes to practice. For him no one can pose a challenge to him." Satsuki said. "What about Seijūrō? What's his deal?" Ryuto asked. "He thinks he's above everyone and that winning was all that mattered no matter what happens." Satsuki said. "I'm going to talk to him. Tell him to meet me at the schools entrance when he is leaving." Satsuki nodded and walked back to the gym.

Sunset began to fall on the city and the school was primarily empty. The basketball players were the last to leave and Seijūrō was the last to exit. Ryuto stepped out of the shadow where he stood and called out to his cousin.

"What the hell was that?" Ryuto asked. "It's good to see you too. To answer your question, I don't know what you're talking about." Seijūrō said not facing him. "Don't give me that crap. I saw both the game and this practice and I saw and felt not joy in the game you told me you love." Ryuto said. "That doesn't matter as long as I win. Winning is the same as breathing for me." Seijūrō said. "What happened to the person who took defeat as way to learn? Where is the Seijūrō Akashi that I knew?" Ryuto shouted.

Seijūrō then turned and he had a wild smile on his face. Ryuto's eyes widened as he saw that one of his eyes was no longer the same color red.

"What are you talking about? I am Akashi Seijūrō. As I said winning is easy for me, I will never loose." Seijūrō said. "Then I'll beat defeat into you so you can learn that." Ryuto said angrily. "If we go to the same school you won't. You'll be taking orders form me." Seijūrō said pointing at himself. "If I do, I'll figure out a way." Ryuto said. "Goodbye Ryuto, there are things that I need to attend to." Seijūrō said walking away.

After Seijūrō left, Ryuto met up with Satsuki and the two walked home. Ryuto continued to be angry thinking about what he just talked about. _I'll show him_ Ryuto thought.

The last school on his list to visit was Rakuzan in Kyoto. Ryuto detested the school as soon as he entered knowing that Seijūrō would also be attending it. The guide talked about how they were always renovating facilities and that they had top marks in both academics and athletics. Ryuto had sent a highlight reel of him playing basketball in order to see fi he could get a sports scholarship and after a meeting with the admissions counselor, he could enter through both academics and sports. However, Ryuto knew this was not a school he wanted to attend and quickly crossed it off the list. On the plane ride back to the United States, his mother asked which one he liked the most. To which Ryuto answered that he would like to attend Seirin, since it was the one he liked the most. Once middle school ended, it was time for Ryuto to move to Japan for his first high school year. His friends there were sad that he was leaving, but he assured them it was only temporary and that he would return. Going to Japan, he had a mission to show Seijūrō and Aomine just what it meant to loose.

 **AN: Now that you've read the chapter, I want to apologize for this taking so long. I had two sleepless weeks in a row due to so much school work. I had already started, but work just kept piling on me. Also this was a difficult chapter to write as it was all original stuff. I hope you enjoyed a bit about Ryuto's origin, and more will be explained in the sequel story. If you still have questions about this or anything feel free to PM me or write it in the reviews. Next week is rather light in terms of school work as I might be taking only one final exam so I'll try to wrap up this story as soon as I can. The finale is coming upon us and I really do hope you stick around to the end, and thank you to those who have stuck around from the beginning it means a lot to me that all of you enjoy this as writing is something I'm hoping to pursue as a career (not fanfics but actual novels and fully original stuff).**

 **With that out of the way, remember to review, follow, and/or favorite if you haven't already. Stay turned for the next chapter as well and I hope that it won't take so long as this one did.**

 **Side note, I'm thinking about making a Twitter account so you guys can talk to me as well as I giving updates on how chapters and stories are going, among other things. If you guys would like that, then feel free to tell me.**


	22. Chapter 22

**AN: Here starts the final game. I wanted to put this chapter out earlier, but personal reasons got in the way. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Remember I do NOT own KnB, I only own my character!**

Chapter 22

The Final Game Part 1

Just as Kuroko had finished telling his story, Ryuto's own flashback ended. Kagami was the fist to speak after Kuroko had finished, saying that the only thing he was surprised about was that there were "two" Akashi's and that Kuroko had them worried for no reason. Kuroko then said that it was his fault for why Ogiwara quit basketball. _Who's Ogiwara?_ Ryuto thought. Kagami then scolded him for being such a worrywart. Kagami the pointed out the wristband calling it a memento. To which Kuroko responded that Ogiwara was not dead and that it was still his fault. Kagami replied that how did he know he was thinking that. Ryuto had no idea what they were referring to, he had not paid attention to Kuroko's story so he felt that he was not part of their current conversation. Ryuto returned to the conversation and saw Kagami standing up saying that he wanted to punch Kuroko. _I should really stop zoning out_ Ryuto thought. Hyuga then stood up saying that what Kagami had said was good, but then his personality flipped. He began to scold Kagami for talking to long and not letting others talk; while hitting him on the head. Hyuga then turned to Kuroko and began to scold him as well. Ryuto laughed at the sight, seeing everyone so lighthearted before a big game was a good thing. Ryuto then looked to his side and saw Riko siting next to him, while taking his hand.

"You weren't listening to the story were you?" she asked. "What makes you say that?" Ryuto asked defensively. "Your eyebrows were so close to each other it could almost be called a unibrow. And you only do that when your angry or thinking about something while being angry." Riko said with a hint of laughter. "You got me there." Ryuto said laughing. "What were you thinking about?" she asked. "Kuroko's story had me flashback to when I met Seijūrō for the first time as well as others. I was thinking about the person Seijūrō was before he became what he is now." Ryuto explained. "Looks like you have a lot to say during our game against him." Riko said. "You have no idea." Ryuto said.

After everything died down, everyone began to leave Kagami's house. Riko waved goodbye to Ryuto returned it with his own wave and a smile. After everyone had left, only Kuroko, Kagami, and Ryuto were left in the apartment.

"Hey Taiga, mind if I spend the night here?" Ryuto asked. "I don't see a problem with that." Kagami said. "Thanks." Ryuto said as he turned to leave Kagami and Kuroko.

"Wait a moment Ryuto-kun." Kuroko said. "Yeah, what's up?" Ryuto asked as he stopped walking. "During my final year of middle school, I saw someone with grey hair looking at one of our practices. At first I thought it was Haizaki-kun, but that person felt different from Haizaki-kun, that person felt warm. By any chance was that you?" Kuroko asked. "Might've been. I was there for like a minute at most, so it might have been me." Ryuto said shrugging. "I see." Kuroko said. "Well I'm going to hit the shower. You two look like you need to talk about something." Ryuto said turning into the bathroom.

"Ryuto sure can be odd sometimes." Kagami said. "I don't understand. What do you mean by odd?" Kuroko asked. "He's really flippant in his emotions, kinda like his mother." Kagami said. "Anyways, there's something I forgot to say." Kuroko said. "You still have more?" Kagami asked. "On graduation day Akashi-kun asked me if I found an answer. Back then I didn't have one, but now I do. Now all that's left is to hit them with 'our basketball.'" Kuroko said.

The boys then fistbumbed ready to face the coming challenge. In the bathroom, Ryuto kept the door slightly ajar he smiled when Kuroko mentioned "our basketball," both of them found the answers they were looking for and it time to show that off. The next morning, Ryuto woke up to the sun hitting his face. Ryuto groaned and he sat up on the couch. He then stretched his arms and let out a yawn. He checked his phone and saw he had a missed call form his mom and a few messages. Ryuto looked over the messages and they said more or less the same thing.

"Looks like I'm going to have fans today." Ryuto said aloud. "What's that supposed to mean?" a voice asked.

Ryuto jumped in fright and turned to see Kagami scratching his head as he let out a yawn.

"Nothing, my family is visiting. They were asking where I was since I wasn't at Satsuki's house." Ryuto said. "Cool. It'll be nice to see them again." Kagami said. "You just want to hang out with Toshiro." Ryuto said crossing his arms. "It's not my fault your brother is cooler then you." Kagami said. "What's the supposed to mean?" Ryuto said.

After the bickering ended, the two boys had breakfast and the whole team was gathered, once again, at Kagami's house to watch game film. After that ended, Ryuto remained at Kagami's house, not wanting to see his parents just yet.

"Why haven't you gone home yet?" Kagami asked. "Personal reasons." Ryuto said. "You don't want your mother seeing you with long hair?" Kagami asked bluntly. "That is totally not the reason." Ryuto said. "Of course it's not." Kagami said.

Truth be told, that's exactly the reason why. His hair was almost covering his eyes on the front and on the back it was past the base of his neck. He pushed the hair on his face back and placed a thin elastic band to keep it there.

"When this is over I'll get a hair cut." Ryuto said. "Or until your mom sees you." Kagami said. "Shut up Taiga." Ryuto said. "I'm gonna go meet up with Tatsuya. Your choice if you want to come or head towards the arena." Kagami said adjusting his bag. "I'll go say hi to Tatsuya, but after that I'll leave you two alone." Ryuto said grabbing his bag.

The two boys then walked towards a park, where Tatsuya was waiting. Ryuto waved towards his friend as they reached him.

"Yo Tatsuya coming to watch the game?" Ryuto said high-fiving him. "Probably, why come all the way here to not watch the game." Tatsuya said. "Awesome! You better cheer for us." Ryuto said. "You sound childish saying those kinds of things." Tatsuya said calmly. "Perhaps you're right. Hey, the three of us together, just like old times." Ryuto said. "Indeed." Tatsuya replied. "Anyways, I'm going to head out. You guys have stuff to talk about. See you at the arena Taiga." Ryuto said walking away.

Ryuto began to walk towards the train station. As he did so his mind began to think back on everything that had happened since he arrived to Japan. All the people he's met and those he reconnected with as well as finding his own path in a new place. _Now that I think about it, everything that has happened here so far would have never happened if I stayed in the States_ Ryuto thought. He knew he only had to stay one school year in Japan, but he was considering staying for the rest of his high school career. He then waved those thoughts out of his head. He needed to focus on what was in front of him. _Seijūrō, you may know all my moves, but you still haven't seen them face to face. I'll show you my strength at one hundred percent_ Ryuto thought. Ryuto then closed his eyes and let his consciousness sink into the watery abyss. He stood in front of the second door, it was still slightly open as it was during the game with Kaijo; Ryuto had yet to loose his Zone entirely. _What do I have to do in order to fully open you?_ Ryuto thought. Ryuto opened his eyes and noticed the train had stopped at his destination. He took a deep breath and stood up.

As he walked towards the arena, many people were arriving as well. _Dang a lot of spectators_ Ryuto thought. When he arrived, the third place game between Shutoku and Kaijo had just started. He had sent a message to both Takao and Kasamatsu wishing them good luck, but Ryuto knew who the winner of the game was going to be. When he entered the watch the game, only a few members of the team had arrived: the coach, Hyuga, Izuki, Kiyoshi, and Kuroko. He greeted each one of them and watched the game unfold. As the game progressed, the rest of Seirin had finished arriving and across the court Rakuzan was fully assembled as well. When halftime was called, Shutoku was in the lead. Rakuzan and Seirin were called forward to start their warmup. Both teams walked onto the court and Ryuto stared directly towards Seijūrō. After taking notice of Kuroko and Kagami, Seijūrō turned to face Ryuto who radiated the same intensity. As the two teams commenced their warm ups, Ryuto took a ball and warmed up solo. He would shoot a lay up from both sides, then shoot a free throw followed by a three pointer; he had yet to miss one. Ryuto set up for his next shot, but noticed Kuroko and Seijūrō talking. Seijūrō said that he was surprised that he made it the finals and that the probability of the happening was low. Ryuto gritted his teeth, but calmed down when Kuroko said that he was going to show him "their" basketball. Ryuto then took a deep breath and walked up to Seijūrō.

"I'm not holding back." Ryuto said. "I don't expect you to. I am no longer your student." Seijūrō said calmly. "Whatever the case, I-we-will win." Ryuto said. "Let's how you fare. I'm absolute and I've perfect everything you've taught me to such a degree that you will not stand a chance." Seijūrō said turing away. "Say that again when you've lost." Ryuto said turing towards his teammates.

When halftime ended, the third place game continued and just as it started it ended, with Shutoku the victors. Then the finalists entered the court and gathered around their respective benches. As Ryuto tied his shoes, he could see that the other three first years were giving Kuroko a new wristband. He smiled at the sight, despite the fact there were most likely not going to play, they still wanted to be a part of it. Ryuto then stood up and walked towards the coach.

"Let me start." Ryuto said. "Are you sure? Teppei can handle Nebuya-kun better then you." she said. "I know. I just need to prove a point. You can pull me out at the end of the first quarter." Ryuto said. "I know how much this game means to him, let him start." Kiyoshi said defending him. "Thanks Kiyoshi." Ryuto said. "Ok you can start. Hit 'em hard!" the coach said. "I will." Ryuto said.

Before the game started, the announcer called out the teams as well as their starters.

"Wearing the black uniforms Seirin High School. Faculty guidance: Kenji Takeda. Coach: Aida Riko. #11, Kuroko Tetsuya. #10, Kagami Taiga. #14, Rishihara Ryuto. #5 Izuki Shun. #4, captain Hyuga Junpei."

As everyone was being announced, something was said about each player. When the announcer called out Kuroko many people took notice of him. _I feel like everyone noticing him is good and bad_ Ryuto thought. When his name was called he could hear his mother cheering him on. He looked towards the stands to see his family waving at him; everyone was there, his mother, father, brother, and sister. He smiled when he saw them, it made him happy that they were there to see him.

"Who are you waving to?" Kuroko asked. "My family." Ryuto said smiling.

"Next in the white uniforms, Rakuzan High School. Coach, Shirogane Eiji. #8, Nebuya Eikichi. #7, Hayama Kotaro. #6, Mibuchi Leo. #5, Mayuzumi Chihiro. #4, captain Akashi Seijūrō."

The two teams then lined up to face each other. The announcer then said for the game to begin. The referee then called for a bow and the two teams bowed. The teams then set up for the jump ball and due to Kiyoshi's absence Kagami had to do it. Ryuto watched as Kagami set up in the center of the court, he was calm yet focused. _He's going to use it right off the bat. I'll hold back then_ Ryuto thought. The referee then blew his whistle and threw the ball up into the air. Kagami managed to send the ball towards Izuki and Hyuga sprinted down the court. Izuki then passed it to Kuroko who used Ignite Pass Kai to send it to Hyuga. Hyuga stopped the ball with his hand, but the force caused him to fumble the ball. He then recovered the ball and went for a lay up, but Mibuchi blocked it. Seijūrō then grabbed the ball and drove down the court. Izuki moved to defend him, but Seijūrō sent a quick pass to Nebuya who jumped for a dunk. However, Kagami managed to block it. Kiyoshi then caught the loose ball and passed it to Kagami, who called out for it. Kagami then drove down the court ready to score, but Seijūrō stood in his way. Kagami the jumped form the three point line and threw the ball into the basket. Everyone was left stunned, even Seijūrō could only watch with his eyes wide open. While everyone was left surprised, Ryuto knew what was happening.

"He's in and early too." Ryuto said smiling.

Kagami the turned revealing sold red lighting in his eyes.

"This'll be interesting." Ryuto said.

On Seirin's next offensive possession, Kagami repeated the same tactic and scored again with another Meteor Jam. Everyone was stunned at just how strong Kagami was in the Zone and they knew the risks of using it as well. In the stands, Tōō was analyzing the game with Susa saying that the Zone drains large amounts of stamina. Which Aomine explained with a simple analogy.

"But we have to remember, Ryuto has Zone as well. No doubt he'll keep it to himself until the end." Imayoshi said. "He had the Zone." Aomine said. "What's the supposed to mean?" Sakurai asked. "Ryuto's Zone is different. It doesn't drain his stamina as much as others, but the more he uses it the more likely he'll never be able to use it again." Aomine answered. "You're saying that Ryuto can't enter the Zone anymore?" Imayoshi asked shocked. "I'm not sure, but he has a small amount of time left to use it." Aomine answered.

Back on the court, Kagami was also unstoppable on defense. He had easily blocked a lay up from Mayazumi, leaving Rakuzan scoreless for the first two minutes of the game. A few moments later, the ball bounced out of bounds and a player swap was called by Seirin. Ryuto looked over and saw Kiyoshi entering for Kuroko. Kuroko walked off the court a bit depressed at the fact that he was being switched. Then some people in the crowd expressed disappointment as Kuroko was being switched. _Why do I have a bad feeling with the crowd being able to see Kuroko?_ Ryuto thought to himself. As the game continued, Kagami was the center of the offense. Four minutes had passed and Rakuzan had only scored one basket. Ryuto looked over to Seijūrō, by his expression he did not seem bothered with the point gap. _Better stay sharp_ Ryuto thought. On Seirin's next offensive possession, Hayama had switched his mark from Kagami to Izuki. While Seijūrō guarded Kagami, leaving Ryuto with Mayazumi. Ryuto stared at him for a moment, after a quick look at him he did not seem to have anything outstanding. Ryuto then looked over to Izuki. Their gazes met and the two nodded. Ryuto then took a step right and back to the left disappearing from Mayazumi's face. Ryuto then reappeared at the free throw line and Izuki sent a pass to him. Ryuto then turned towards the basket and Mayazumi appeared in front of him. Ryuto then did a crossover to his right, but before it reached his hand the ball was slapped away. Ryuto looked back to see Seijūrō had stolen the ball.

"Too slow Ryuto." Seijūrō as he drove down the court.

Kagami began to run to stop him, but Ryuto called out to him.

"Stop Taiga! He's mine." Ryuto said as he ran past Kagami.

Ryuto managed to get ahead of Seijūrō, which halted his advance.

"I expected one of two things to happen there. Either they would pass to you after to broke from your mark, or the ball would be passed to Kagami. Looks like I know you too well." Seijūrō said. "Still got to get past me." Ryuto said. "That won't be a problem. As I am absolute." Seijūrō said with his Emperor Eye activating.

Seijūrō then did a crossover to his left and quickly back to his right. Ryuto felt himself beginning to fall. He tried to steady himself, but he had fallen to the ground.

"I-I-Impossible." Ryuto said wide eyed. "As I told you before I am absolute." Seijūrō said as he dribbled past Ryuto and scored a lay up. "Stay on the ground." Seijūrō taunted as he walked past Ryuto.

The crowd the began to cheer with excitement. With comments ranging from "He ankle broke Ryuto!" to "Akashi is unstoppable!" Ryuto the gritted his teeth and punched the ground in frustration. He then looked up to see Kagami with an outstretched hand. Ryuto took it and he was pulled up.

"Never expected you to fall." he said. "I'll drop him. I swear I will." Ryuto said. "Hey calm down a bit." Kagami said. "I'm perfectly calm. Just give me the ball." Ryuto said.

In the stands all who knew Ryuto's abilities were left in astonishment. Hanamiya had no words to say. Meanwhile Tatsuya's mouth hung wide open.

"No way. Ryuto fell." Tatsuya said quietly.

Alex had similar thoughts as Tatsuya, not believing Ryuto was so easily overpowered. Tōō began to attack Aomine with questions, to which he had none. He, himself, could not believe Ryuto could be dropped like that. On Seirin's next offensive, Izuki passed the ball to Ryuto and he brought the ball to the three point line. Seijūrō stood in front of him waiting for Ryuto's next move, despite being well aware at what he was going to do. Ryuto the crossed over to his left the back to his right moving slightly forwards. He then did the same with a quick step forwards, and repeating it moving back. As he prepared the next crossover, Seijūrō stuck his hand in between the course of the ball and slapped it away. Ryuto looked towards where the ball bounced and Seijūrō was there to pick it up. He then drove down the court, but Kagami had managed to get in front of him and prepare to defend. However, Seijūrō did not seem bothered by it. He then did a crossover through his legs and back again, which caused Kagami to fall. Seijūrō then continued his drive and passed to Reo, narrowly avoiding Izuki's Eagle Spear. Kiyoshi moved to block the lay up, but Reo ducked under him and threw the ball from the other side. The ball flew closer to the basket, but Ryuto appeared and stopped the ball. Izuki then recovered the ball and began to drive down the court.

"Looks like the two of us need to get our heads straight." Ryuto said to Kagami. "Yeah, I know." Kagami said as he stopped running.

 _Looks like he's getting out of it_ Ryuto thought. On Seirin's next offensive, the ball was passed around until it reached Kiyoshi who scored a lay up. As they jogged to defense, Ryuto stared at his hand for a moment. _If my pass was off by a second, it would have been stolen. What is up with me?_ Ryuto thought to himself. On the bench, Riko watched as Ryuto seemed to struggle as he played. She began to wonder if it had something to do with what had just happened to him.

"Kuroko-kun get ready to go in." she said.

Kuroko responded with a nod and got ready to play. After an out of bounds, the buzzer sounded for a player change. Ryuto looked over and saw Kuroko ready to play. The crowd then cheered as he was about to enter the game, and again a cold feeling crawled over Ryuto.

"Ryuto-kun take a break." the coach called out. "Wait, no. Not now." Ryuto argued. "I'll handle Akashi until you come back." Kagami said.

Ryuto stayed silent for a moment, but agreed. He walked towards Kuroko and highfived him. Ryuto the sat down and placed a towel over his head. His mind began to race as he thought about what had just happened. _How could Seijūrō drop me, with the move I taught him. Not only that he stopped my own move_ Ryuto thought. He then punched the bench in frustration, he had no idea what to do. _Is he right? Can I really beat him?_ Ryuto thought.

"Ryuto-kun." a voice called out.

Ryuto looked up to see the coach kneeling in front of him.

"Are you alright?" she asked. "I'm fine." Ryuto said turing away from her. "I can tell you're not. You're letting your emotions get in the way of your play. It makes you easy to read." the coach said.

Ryuto stayed silent.

"I'll let you think on that." the coach said standing.

In the stands, Ryuto's family seemed worried as they saw how Ryuto was being beaten.

"I've never seen Ryuto beaten before." Toshiro said. "He mustn't be at 100%. No doubt playing against Seijūrō has brought about certain emotions inside of him." Ryutosuke said. "But big brother has never lost." Yuki said. "I'm sure he'll bounce back." Toshiro said.

Ryuto then looked towards the game, making sure to make a note of everything he could see happening. He saw as Kagami passed the ball to Kuroko who sent a pass to Hyuga. Hyuga set up for the three and released, but the ball bounced off the rim and Nebuya recovered the rebound. Nebuya then passed to Akashi who began to drove down the court. He passed to Hayama, who Kagami guarded, but Hayama drove past him with a four finger dribble and scored a lay up. _It's similar to my Lightning Crossover now that I see it from closer_ Ryuto thought. Ryuto watched as Seijūrō eyed Kuroko, then something clicked in his mind. _My bad feeling was right. Kuroko has a presence on the court_ Ryuto thought. He looked over to Furihata who seemed to have figured it out as well, but before he could do anything one of Kuroko's passes were stopped. Mayazumi the grabbed the ball and passed to Hayama, who scored a lay up. Ryuto then looked towards Kuroko, he was wide eyed as he realized what had happened. Seijūrō then began to explain to him what developing meant for him, he would eventually be noticed. As the game continued, Kuroko could not shake his mark and with Izuki trying to find an opening Seijūrō jabbed at the ball causing it to go out of bounds. The buzzer then sounded for a player switch and Tsuchida. Kuroko walked off the court saddened and sat down on the bench. Up in the stands, Hanamiya commented on Kuroko's substitution.

"Of course they would switch him. If you have a trump card that's unusable then why bother. How will Seirin manage with two of it's heaviest hitters benched?" Hanamiya said.

As Kuroko walked over to the end of the bench, the coach stopped him and told him to sit next to her. She then moved in closer to him and explained what that plan was. Ryuto listened to what she had to say and was shocked when he heard that he was going right back in. He wanted to protest, but decided against it wanting to see how everything played out. The ball then landed in the out of bounds and Kuroko was put back in. On offense, Kuroko was given the ball. He used his Vanishing Drive on Mayazumi, but was stopped. He then spun around and set up for a Phantom Shot, but was blocked by Mayazumi. Seijūrō then recovered the ball and passed to Hayama. Hayama jumped for a lay up, but was blocked by Kagami. However, Reo jumped for the rebound and dunked. Ryuto looked towards the scoreboard and saw that Rakuzan had taken the lead and there was still more then two minutes left. The game continued and with little time left, Kiyoshi recovered an offensive rebound and passed to Hyuga. Hyuga then used his Barrier Jumper and scored to end the first quarter with a tie. The team gather on the bench with the ones who played sitting on the bench. The coach then began to discuss a strategy for the next game and told Kuroko he would be sitting out.

"Ryuto-kun can you go?" she asked turning to him. "Give me some more time. I need to clear my head." Ryuto said turning away to not face the disappointment of his teammates.

After a few minutes, the buzzer sounded and the second quarter began. Rakuzan started with possession and the ball was inbounded to Seijūrō. Seijūrō then let the ball go and Kiyoshi moved to grab it, but Mayazumi appeared and sent a pass Reo who scored a three. Kuroko then shot up with a shocked look. Ryuto was also left wide eyed, even though he saw everything happen. Ryuto then took off his shirt and walked over to the coach.

"Put me in." Ryuto said.

She nodded and the two walked to scorers table.

"How are you going to stop him?" she asked. "I don't know. But I can see him, just as I could see Kuroko when I first met him." Ryuto said.

Her mind then flashed back to when everyone had met Kuroko. Everyone was taken back at his appearance, but Ryuto claimed he could always see him. The buzzer sounded for a player switch and Mitobe walked over and high fived Ryuto. Ryuto entered the court with all eyes on him. He took a deep breath and walked over to his teammates.

"Let me handle Mayazumi." Ryuto said. "How are you going to do that?" Kagami asked. "I'm still figuring that out. But I know I can stop him." Ryuto said.

After failing to score Seirin moved to defense. After another Misdirection pass from Mayazumi, Rakuzan scored again. _Seeing him from up close, it's different to Kuroko. Yet, at the same time, similar to his_ Ryuto thought.

"Oi! Are you just going to stare off into space, or are you going to defend the guy?!" Kagami yelled out. "Relax I'm formulating a plan." Ryuto said.

On offense, Seirin could not get a point back and it was Rakuzan's ball. Seijūrō then passed to Mayazumi, but before he could pass Ryuto got in front of him. Mayazumi then caught the ball and set up for a three. He then released the ball and scored. _Now I see how it's different_ Ryuto thought. On the return to offense, Ryuto looked towards Mayazumi, who intentionally, walked in front of Kuroko. However, Mayazumi's eyes widened to see that Kuroko was studying him. Ryuto smiled and walked past Kuroko.

"Keep observing him. You'll be the key to defeating him." Ryuto said as he passed him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ryuto could see him nod and once again Ryuto smiled. A few moments later, the buzzer sounded and Furihata was standing at the scorers table. Ryuto had mixed emotions seeing him standing there, trembling in fear. Ryuto could hear the other three Uncrowned Kings voice their opinions on Furihata, who had switched with Izuki, with Nebuya claiming they should change him for someone decent. As the game resumed, Furihata moved in close to guard Seijūrō; however, Seijūrō simply dribbled past him. Then Kagami moved in to defend him while Furihata defended Hayama. _I might be able to see what's happening, but as long as I keep Mayazumi contained this plan should work: stopping the ankle breaker_ Ryuto thought. Seijūrō then stopped his advance to quickly duck under Kagami and get away from him. He then did a lay up, and Kagami tried to block it. However, he was too late and the ball entered the basket. On Seirin's next offensive, after an offensive rebound the ball was passed to Furihata. His defender moved away from him and Furihata scored a basket. Then on Rakuzan's offensive, Fuirhata moved in to defend Seijūrō, but Seijūrō then began to do a crossover. Realizing what was about to happen, Ryuto sprinted towards Seijūrō, who had just caused Furihata to fall, who was setting up for a shot. He then released the ball, but Ryuto was there to swat it down. When he landed on the floor, Ryuto darted after the ball. Recovering it, Ryuto sprinted down the court and scored a solo dunk. Ryuto let go of the rim and landed just as the crowed erupted in cheers. While the teams that were there watching could only watch in awe that Ryuto had blocked Seijūrō. Ryuto then turned to face everyone and a spark of grey was in his eyes before it faded. Seijūrō stared at his cousin, he was surprised that Ryuto had blocked him; however he did not show it.

"I won't stand for that. Using a move like that for a reason such as that. That is not something I'll just sit back and watch!" Ryuto yelled out.

Seijūrō simply scoffed and turned to receive the inbound.

"Oh boy that was intense." Imayoshi said with a laugh. "Incredible, he blocked Akashi-kun." Satsuki said. "He was in the Zone for a moment and then exited it." Aomine said. "What makes you say that?" Wakamatsu asked. "Ryu can only dunk when he's in the Zone. Seeing someone like that get ankle broken must have triggered him to use it." Aomine explained.

After the dunk, Rakuzan called a timeout; which left Seirin a bit surprised. When everyone arrived at the bench, Furihata collapsed. The coach gave a quick look at him and determined that he had lost all of his stamina. Furihata tried to argue that he was still good, but it was apparent that he could not continue.

"I could use a breather too." Ryuto said.

The team let out a small gasp, surprised Ryuto asked for some time to rest.

"I used the Zone in that last dunk. For some reason it took a lot out of me." Ryuto said. "Ok then Izuki-kun you'll go in for him. As for Furihata-kun-" she was then cut off by Fukuda. "I'll go in for Furi. Kawahara and I could do the same thing he was doing, at least slow down Akashi a bit." Fukuda said.

The coach tried to argue, but Hyuga seemed all for it and they walked onto to the court. Meanwhile at Rakuzan's bench, they were discussing Ryuto's sudden burst in strength.

"To think he was that fast." Nebuya said. "Being able to block Sei-chan and recover the ball to score means he's just as good as the stats say he is." Mibuchi said. "Man, I want to go one-on-one against him." Hayama said happily. "You would lose Kotaro." Seijūrō said bluntly. "Ha… You don't know that." Hayama said. "I do know that. Ryuto is stronger then he lets on to be. However, after that dunk, he is most likely to sit out for a while." Seijūrō said. "Aww damn it. And I wanted to test five fingers on him." Hayama said. "He would stop it," Seijūrō said, "he has the capabilities to stop all of us. In a one-on-one that is." "You can't be serious Akashi. My muscles can crush him." Nebuya said flexing. "I am being serious. He taught me everything I know." Seijūrō said standing up.

The buzzer then sounded signaling the end of the timeout and both teams walked onto the court. Rakuzan inbounded the ball and Seijūrō passed to Mibuchi. After receiving the ball, Mibuchi was faced by Hyuga; who was determined to defeat him. _Battle of shooting guards. I have no idea how the flamboyant guy plays, but I'm sure Hyuga won't loose so easily_ Ryuto said. Mibuchi then jumped back and scored a fadeaway three. _Dang, a fadeaway three. A fadeaway itself is hard enough, but a three_ Ryuto thought. On Seirin's offensive, Hyuga called out for a pass and after receiving it, he was met by Mibuchi. Hyuga then stepped back for a Barrier Jumper and released it scoring a three. Soon after that a battle of three pointers commenced, with each shooting guard releasing three after three until Mibuchi blocked one of Hyuga's. Rakuzan then recovered the ball and Seijūrō passed to Mibuchi with Hyuga right in front of him. Mibuchi then set up for a three and Hyuga went to block it; however, he did not jump. Mibuchi then released the ball and scored.

"So he knows them." Ryuto said to himself. "Knows what?" the coach asked. "I should really stop talking to myself. Mibuchi knows the three shooting forms: the fadeaway call Heaven, a regular shot called Earth with a fake added in, and finally the one he just did Void, where the way he shoots causes the defender to be unable to jump." Ryuto explained. "And you know this how?" Koga asked. "The shooting guard I played with in the States knew them all and a fourth one he created." Ryuto said. "Jeez was your team the American version of the Generation of Miracles or something." the coach said. "I never really thought about it that way, but I guess you could." Ryuto said shrugging.

On Seirin's next offensive, Hyuga dribbled the ball down the court and then stopped to set up for a Barrier Jumper. However, Mibuchi managed to catch up and Hyuga was forced to pass inside. The pass was caught by Kiyoshi, who went up for a lay up, but instead he switched to pass to Kagami who scored the lay up. On Rakuzan's offensive Seijūrō once again passed to Mibuchi. He then set up for a shot and Hyuga jumped to block it. However it was a fake and on the second jump, Hyuga bumped into Mibuchi causing a foul to be drawn. Mibuchi the made his free throw and he had just scored four points. Kiyoshi then asked Izuki to pass him the ball as he wanted some time on the offensive as well. Izuki did as he was told and passed to Kiyoshi, but he was quickly guarded by Nebuya. Kiyoshi then jumped for a lay up, but Nebuya swatted the ball down and it rolled into the out of bounds. _Damn, this guys is as strong as he looks_ Ryuto thought. Before the inbound, Nebuya and Kiyoshi seemed to get into some kind of argument, but it quickly turned into Nebuya just showing off how ripped he was. _This guys brain has to be in his muscles_ Ryuto thought. On the rebound, Nebuya began to yell something out as he screened Kiyoshi. Then the two jumped for the rebound and Kiyoshi was poised to grab it, but Nebuya yelled out again and caught the rebound. On offense, Nebuya was given the ball and jumped for a dunk while yelling at the same time. Kiyoshi jumped to block it, but he was overpowered and Nebuya scored. After the offensive switch, Izuki passed to Kiyoshi who moved to dunk, but Nebuya jumped to block it. Kiyoshi then used his Right of Postponement to pass to Fukuda who scored a jump shot.

As the quarter continued, Rakuzan seemed to be on a roll scoring point after point and not letting up. Meanwhile Seirin could barely manage. Kiyoshi and Hyuga were at their breaking point as well as Izuki. While Fukuda was near exhaustion, which caused him to loose a pass. With time winding down, Fukuda was switched with Kawahara to do the same job that Fukuda did before him.

"Right now Seirin's only wild card is Ryuto." Imayoshi said. "Then why don't they put him in, instead of scared first years?!" Wakamatsu asked. "You'll have to ask the coach that one. Plus it seems he's trying to figure out his own role in all this. He's normally Seirin's shadow ace, but after all those blunders early in the game he's doubting himself on what he can do." Imayoshi answered. "It's not that. He's trying to figure out a way for his Zone to last longer." Aomine said.

Aomine's eyes seemed glued to Ryuto. He knew his strength was being a support to his team, however the more his team depended on him the more power he would have to use to fill that void. Aomine knew what it costed him to be that: his Zone.

Ryuto continued to watch at how powerless everyone seemed to be against Rakuzan. Point after point was scored on them and they could not answer back. The point gap only widened and would continue to do so if not for something. Ryuto looked over to Riko tears were forming in her eyes. She did not need to say it, but Ryuto knew she felt powerless. Turning back to the game, Kagami had just scored a basket inching them closer yet they were still too far behind. On Rakuzan's offense, Ryuto watched as the ball was passed to Mayazumi and Seijūrō darted to the basket and jumped. _No way. Can he really do that?_ Ryuto thought. Mayazumi then passed to Seijūrō who scored a dunk leaving everyone astonished. After the dunk, the second quarter ended and halftime was called. Ryuto looked at everyone they all seemed defeated and truth be told so was he. He tightened his fist as he watched Seijūrō return to his bench while also eyeing him with his stone cold stare. _I will figure out a way to beat you_ Ryuto thought.

 **AN: And here ends part one of the final game. I divided this game into two parts because of how different the two halves of the game are. Thus leading me to divide it. Some of the decisions I made here are to change up to main plot and my character; such as his play when he was given the ball and how he can bounce back. Here I also brought back something I mentioned a long time ago, that Ryuto can see people with low presences. I had him that ability so he could find a way to help in this game even if he was not playing at 100%. At least that's how I thought about it. Anyways, I'm hard at work with part 2 and I want it to be out by Monday, since I have no concrete upload time I hope to be able to put it out until then. This story is slowly coming to a close and stay tuned because after this game I got a couple of original chapter before I start the sequel. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and remember to follow, favorite, and/or review if you haven't already.**

 **PS: I made a Twitter account so if you want to follow me there you can find story updates as well as other** **shenanigans there. You can also ask me questions about stories or anything else, so feel free to do that if you want.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Remember I do NOT own KnB! I only own my character!**

Chapter 23

The Final Game Part 2

During half time, the team gathered in the locker room. They were quiet, all of them hung their heads staring at the floor. Ryuto sighed and opened the door to the room to leave. A few moments later the door opened again and out walked Riko.

"You're not going to disappear now!" she yelled out. "I wasn't going to disappear. Too much negativity in there and I'm just adding onto it." Ryuto argued. "Can't you say something to rile them up?" Riko asked. "No I can't. I can't even do that for myself at the moment." Ryuto said crossing. "What are we going to do?" Riko said to herself on the verge of crying.

Ryuto then walked towards her and embraced her in a hug. She let out a surprised gasp, but soon after wrapped her own arms around him.

"I'm sure we'll figure something out. No one's invincible." Ryuto said softly.

The two then walked back into the locker room and prepared for the next half. After halftime ended, both teams gathered in the court on their respective benches. Ryuto decided not to look towards Seijūrō as he deemed it a distraction. Then the five players for the game were chose: Kagami, Koga, Hyuga, Izuki, and Kiyoshi. The coach had asked if Ryuto was ok to enter, but he shook his head saying no. Hyuga then called out their battle cry and the five walked onto the court. The quarter began with Seirin in possession of the ball. The team drove down the court to score a point. Izuki stopped his advance as Koga set up a screen to free Hyuga from Reo. Izuki then passed to Hyuga, who set up for a shot and released the ball. The soared and then entered the basket scoring the first point of the half for Seirin. On Rakuzan's offense, a cold air was suddenly felt around Ryuto. He looked towards Seijūrō and he could see he was the source of the cold. _What the hell does he have planned?_ Ryuto thought. Seijūrō then passed to Reo and he set up for a shot, but Hyuga was ready to block it. However; the shooting position changed from Heaven to Earth and a foul was called on Hyuga just as the ball was released. Reo made his the shot and the referee called out Hyuga to take responsibility for the foul. Hyuga then walked up to the referee telling him that there was no contact. The coach then called out for him to stop, but it fell on deaf ears as Hyuga continued to argue. Izuki tried to stop him too, but it was in vain as the referee called a technical foul on him. _It was a 50/50 call, but either way Hyuga should not have argued about it_ Ryuto thought.

At that moment, Shutoku walked to the stands to watch the game. They had arrived just as the technical foul was called. Takao seemed disappointed in Hyuga while Midorima seemed to sympathize with him to a degree. At the same time, Kaijo also walked to the stands and giving their own input on the game, with Kasamatsu expressing disappointment as well. Kise agreed, but said that Seirin still had hope since they had Kagami and Ryuto; but as he looked to find Ryuto he saw him on the bench.

"Why is Ryutocchi on the bench of all places?! He should be on the court, playing against Akashicchi!" Kise said in surprise. "I didn't notice he wasn't on the court. Something must've happened for him to be benched." Kasamatsu said. "They grey haired boy, he was pulled out 'cause he was playing so darn bad." a bystander said. "Ryutocchi playing badly? I find that hard to believe." Kise said. "We didn't see it so we'll have to take that mans word for it." Kasamatsu said.

Back on the court, Seirin was once again in possession of the ball. Kagami received a pass and was face to face with Seijūrō. Seijūrō said that he would stop his pressure was when Seirin's morale was utterly defeated. _You bastard_ Ryuto thought as he gritted his teeth. Kagami then drove past Seijūrō, but at the last moment Seijūrō swatted the ball away using his Emperor Eye. After that, the coach called a time out and the players gather at the bench. They were all quite and hung their heads in defeat, all hope was gone from their eyes; especially Hyuga's. Ryuto then let out a sigh and stood in the center of everyone.

"I'm not about ready to loose." he said bluntly.

No one responded or looked up to see him.

"Fine, if you guys gave up I'll just play a five-on-one. Maybe then you'll find you're resolve. I found mine, but the question is if you've found yours." Ryuto said as he took off his sweatshirt. "I want to win! And I'll follow Ryuto-kun to do it!" Kuroko yelled out. "That's the spirit." Ryuto said quietly. "With you guys, we'll become the best in Japan!" Kuroko said.

Everyone looked up in surprise to see Kuroko's determination.

"Coach please." Kuroko said. "Make that two of us." Ryuto said smiling.

The buzzer then sounded signaling the end of the time out. Seirin walked onto the court with newfound determination that radiated from Kuroko and Ryuto. The two boys fist bumped and looked Seijūrō straight in the eyes. He was surprised to see that he had yet to crush Seirin's resolve.

"I'll tell you one thing Seijūrō… _We're going to win you son of bitch!_ " Ryuto yelled out.

"Swearing in English you are serious." Seijūrō said with a smile.

The crowd began to cheer as Kuroko and Ryuto walked onto the court with some calling Kuroko the original trickster. Ryuto scoffed at the name, but paid it no mind. He then closed his eyes and let his subconscious submerge.

" _I understand now what's keeping me from opening you completely, but all I ask_ _is for a fraction of the power that's behind this door. I can't fully discard my past, but I'm willing to hold on to it in order to win this match._ " Ryuto said to the door.

The door then slightly crept open and light poured out of the door and bathed half of Ryuto's body in it. Ryuto then smiled and thanked the door for granting him the necessary power.

" _I can probably only use this for about_ _5 to 8 minutes. I'll make that time count._ " Ryuto said.

He then opened his eyes and released his breath.

"You okay?" Kuroko asked. "Yeah, just needed to take a breath." Ryuto said. "Let's go, Ryuto-kun." Kuroko said. "Let's win." Ryuto said.

As the game resumed, Seirin had possession of the ball. Izuki drove down the court, but stopped as he was faced with Seijūrō. Ryuto then moved towards Izuki, but Reo began to follow. However; Kuroko set up a screen and allowed for Ryuto to slip by and receive the ball. Ryuto caught it and was faced with Mayazumi.

"Can you keep up?" Ryuto asked. "What's the supposed to mean?" Mayazumi asked raising an eyebrow. "I see." Ryuto said smiling.

"Chihiro stop him!" Seijūrō yelled out.

 _Too slow_ Ryuto thought. He then crossed over and broke past Mayazumi with incredible speed. Mayazumi looked back to see Ryuto scoring a dunk, not even Nebuya had time to react. Ryuto turned around to reveal the spark in his eyes; he had entered the Zone. The crowd began to cheer loudly seeing Ryuto score. While those who knew more looked with astonishment.

 _Is he really going to waste what he has left now?_ Aomine thought in surprise.

"Go, Ryutocchi!" Kise yelled out. "So, he was holding that back from the start." Kasamatsu said with a smile.

"I knew Ryu-chan wouldn't be deterred so easily!" Takao said. "Hmph, I would say he's just getting warmed up." Midorima said adjusting his glasses.

Murasakibara said nothing as he seemed to be interested in what Ryuto would do next.

"Amazing!" was all Himuro could say.

On Rakuzan's offensive possession, Seijūrō passed to Mayazumi; while Kuroko prepared to defend him. Mayazumi seemed unimpressed that Kuroko was in front of him and he drove past him. _Looks like he fell for it_ Ryuto thought smiling. Mayazaumi then set up for a shot, but as he released Kagami was there to block it. Izuki recovered the ball and threw a pass to Ryuto, who scored another dunk. Ryuto let out a breath and then shook his head. He opened his eyes again the the lightning in his eyes faded. _That was about a minute. I got to save everything for when I need it most_ Ryuto thought. The following two Rakuzan possession, were scored by Mayazumi and on the second, the crowd began to take notice of Mayazumi. Ryuto smiled, the plan was working. Kagami then then scored to keep them alive. On Rakuzan's next possession, Kuroko once again faced off against Mayazumi. Ryuto could barely make out what Kuroko had said, but what he did hear pleased him.

"The title of the phantom sixth man, is something I'm not ready to relinquish yet."

Then on a pass to Reo, Kuroko appeared for a steal. Rakuzan all had surprised expressions on their faces, minus Seijūrō, not believing that Kuroko's low presence had returned. Izuki then passed to Kuroko. He then received it and began to drive towards the basket. Hayama readied himself for the Vanishing Drive, however; Kuroko came to a complete stop and passed it to Kagami. Kagami the jumped up and scored a dunk. On Rakuzan's next possession, the ball was passed to Mayazumi. When he received it, the crowed called out his number along with his name. Then realization dawned on Mayazumi; he was being overwritten. _Figured it out have you, too late I must say_ Ryuto thought. Hayama then called out for a pass, and Mayazumi sent the ball towards him. Ryuto tried to move to cut it off, but Hayama had received it. Hayama then set up for a shot and released the ball. The ball then bounced off the rim and Kiyoshi was there to receive it. He then passed to Izuki and Seirin set up for offense. Izuki then tried to pass to Ryuto, but Seijūrō intercepted the pass. Seijūrō the drove down the court, but Kagami was able to over take him. Ryuto looked towards Kagami and smiled as he saw the lightning in his eyes. _I'll be damned he did it_ Ryuto thought.

In the stands, Aomine let out a chuckle and said that Kagami was diving deeper into the Zone.

"Deeper?" Imayoshi asked. "His Wild skill in the Zone, really is like a wild beast unlike Ryuto's." Aomine said. "How are they different?" Imayoshi asked. "Ryuto already reached the highest depth one can go in the Zone. While Kagami continues to fall." Aomine explained.

Back on the court, Seijūrō moved slightly to set up for a shot, but Kagami was quick to react stopping Seijūrō from doing anything. Seijūrō then sent a quick pass towards Mayazumi, who redirected it to Nebuya. Nebuya then jumped up a scored a lay up. On the following Rakuzan possession, Seijūrō once again passed to Mayazumi, however; he was unable to pass the ball due to everyone being covered. Kuroko the moved to guard him, holding his hands high. Mayazumi then brought the ball down to start dribbling, but as he did so he found himself passing Kuroko. _Can't fight basic instinct_ Ryuto thought. Mayazumi then stopped and set up for a shot. As the ball was released, Kagami appeared and slapped the ball away. On Seirin's possession, Kuroko was guarded by Mayazaumi, but he disappeared from in front of him. Izuki then passed to him, and Kuroko redirected the pass to Kiyoshi who scored a dunk. _With Kagami containing Seijūrō on defense and Kuroko back for offense things might just start to go our way_ Ryuto thought. After the dunk, Rakuzan called a timeout and both teams walked to their benches. On the bench, the coach told those who were not playing to get ice packs for those who were. As Ryuto drank water, he overheard Hyuga and Kiyoshi's conversation. _Those two really are something_ Ryuto thought. The buzzer then sounded and the game resumed. As the teams walked onto the court, Ryuto saw that Mayazumi was still playing. _I honestly thought they would sub him out_ Ryuto thought. He then looked towards Seijūrō who still had the cold expression on his face.

"Wouldn't it better to sub Mayazumi out." Ryuto said to him. "He's still useful." Seijūrō said not making eye contact. "He's just a tool to you." Ryuto said angered. "Everyone is until I no longer need them." Seijūrō said walking away. "You self obsessed bastard." Ryuto said .

Rakuzan started with possession of the ball, and Seijūrō drove down the court. He then stopped just behind the three point line where Kagami waited for him. Mayazumi then appeared running behind Seijūrō. Seijūrō gave a quick look back, which Kagami followed. But once his gaze returned to Seijūrō the ball was no longer with him. Ryuto looked over to Reo as he was setting up for a shot.

"Crap!" Ryuto yelled out.

Reo the released the ball scoring a three.

"Can he use Misdirection Overflow?!" Izuki asked in surprise. "No it's different. Akashi-kun is using Mayazumi-san to guide people's lines of sight towards him, now that Mayazumi-san can be easily seen." Kuroko explained. "In other words, he's using Mayazumi to get passes through." Ryuto summarized.

On Rakuzan's next possession, Seijūrō dribbled the ball down the court. Kagami moved to stop him and stood in front of Mayazumi, but Seijūrō sent the pass to Nebuya. Kiyoshi moved to defend Nebuya, but using his strength he pushed Kiyoshi back. In a quick moment Kiyoshi seemed to stop pushing back and Nebuya scored a lay up. _Damn Kiyoshi is nearing his limit, and the way Seijūrō is using Mayazumi makes Taiga have to make a decision_ Ryuto thought. Ryuto then saw how Kuroko moved towards the inbound and Ryuto sprinted down the court. Kuroko then sent a Cyclone Pass down the court and Ryuto caught it scoring a lay up. On defense, the players on Seirin's bench began to chant 'Defense!' Ryuto smiled at the gesture, every little thing would work to rile them up. On Rakuzan's offense, the ball was passed to Hayama and Izuki prepared to defend him. He and Hayama had a short conversation before Hayama got into a position to dribble. Using only four fingers, Hayama dribbled past Izuki; however, Izuki managed to keep up and stay in front of Hayama. Izuki then said something to Hayama which caused him to laugh, his expression then changed to a serious one as he had all five fingers on the ball. _Crap, will Izuki be able to keep up with that?_ Ryuto thought seeing everything unfold out of the corner of his eye. Everything moved in slow motion as Hayama moved to begin his dribble, then in a burst of speed, Hayama got past Izuki. Izuki moved to do his Eagle Spear, but Hayama was too fast. Kiyoshi then moved to stop Hayama, but Hayama released the ball under his arm and scored a layup.

"If you want, we can switch marks?" Ryuto asked Izuki. "No, I'm not disappointed. On the contrary I'm happy I got to make and opponent like him go all out. I'll keep marking Hayama." Izuki said confidently.

Ryuto smiled and nodded. "Give 'em hell." Ryuto said patting Izuki on the back.

On Rakuzan's next offensive possession, Izuki and Hayama were once again face to face. Hayama the burst past Izuki with and another five finger dribble and scored again. _I get it, he's letting him pass in order to get a feel for his speed. Izuki, you surprise me sometimes_ Ryuto thought with a smile. On the next possession, Izuki stood ready to defeat Hayama and made his intentions clear. Hayama then did his dribble again and burst past Izuki. Kuroko then moved in to steal the ball, but Hayam was quick and avoided the steal with a spin. Izuki then prepared his Eagle Spear, but Hayama brought the ball up for a shot; however, he was inside Kagami's defensive range and Kagami swatted the ball down. Kuroko the recovered the ball and Ryuto began to sprint down the court while calling out for a pass. Kuroko then sent the pass towards Ryuto and he prepared for a lay up. But Izuki called out for him to stop and pass. Ryuto looked up to see Reo behind him. Ryuto then passed to Izuki, who prepared for a shot. Hayama then appeared ready to block it, but Izuki then threw the ball behind him and Kagami grabbed it for an alley-oop. Kagami then received the ball and dunked it. On the inbound, Seirin was playing full court defense with Izuki on Hayama who was inbounding. Hayama then passed to Mayazumi, but the pass was cut off by Kruoko; who then passed to Kagami scoring another basket. Letting go of the pressure, Seirin returned on half court defense and waited for Rakuzan to come. Ryuto looked towards Kagami, who was waiting for Seijūrō to arrive, he could see the lightning flickering in his eyes, but it was as if it was fading. Ryuto then realized what he was trying to do, he was forcing himself to go deeper instead of letting himself fall. Seijūrō then moved closer into Kagami's range and quickly set up for a shot and before Kagami could react quick enough he scored a three.

"Your focus lessened tour vigilance against threes. Take care to not let up if you intend to stop me in my tracks. Even so, you've rentered the Zone to cling on to what hope you had left, and your stamina will run out." Seijūrō said coldly. "You're forgetting that two of us can enter!" Ryuto argued. "That is true, but you're at your limit in the Zone and can no longer access it. That's why you use short bursts of it." Seijūrō said.

"How did he know?" Ryuto said quietly. "Ryuto-kun, what is he talking about?" Kuroko asked. "I'll tell you later. Right now we have to focus on this game." Ryuto said.

 _That was something I wanted to keep a secret_ Ryuto thought.

On Seirin's offense, the ball was passed to Kiyoshi and he scored a lay up and continuing Seirin's pressure. On Rakuzan's offense, the ball was passed to Reo and Ryuto was waiting in front of him.

"I can't let my guard down around you. You're not a wild as Kagami or Hayama, but you do have some ferocity." Reo said. "I've always been the more calm and collected type. I stick to the shadows and make my next move based on what I see." Ryuto said. "Well then, I'll have to use something to stop that." Reo said as he set up for a shot. "If it's Void, I can stop it." Ryuto said.

As Reo jumped for the shot, he noticed that Ryuto never squatted down. _He has no impulse, he won't be able to jump high enough. So why do I feel worried?_ Reo thought. Ryuto then jumped up and Reo saw the lightning in his eyes. As he released, Ryuto managed to graze the ball causing it to bounce off the rim. However, Nebuya was there to push it back in.

"Not possible. From a standing position there was no way you could even get that high!" Reo said. "I had a teammate who knew those forms, he even created a fourth that only he knows, so I know how to counter most of them. Void is the only one I can't block, due to the way I stop it." Ryuto explained as he jogged to offense.

On offense, Kuroko sent a pass towards Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi then jumped back to shoot the ball, but Nebuya was there to block it. Kagami then called out for a pass and Kiyoshi released the ball. It bounced off the rim and Kagami jumped up to push it back in. On Rakuzan's next offensive possession, Reo was given the ball again and Ryuto was in front of him ready to defend.

"I won't let you stop me again!" Reo said. "It's not a matter of 'let,' I will stop you one way or another." Ryuto said.

Ryuto could see Reo's frustrated expression as he set up for a shot. Ryuto did nothing in response and waited for the ball to be released. At Reo's highest point, Ryuto jumped up again using a small amount of his Zone. The ball grazed his hand again and as it sailed through the air it did not have the same momentum as a regular shot. The ball then began to spin around in the basket, and after a few spins it entered the basket.

"Huh, would you look at that. I guess I underestimated you." Ryuto said as he turned back to Reo.

Reo face expressed pure rage, Ryuto laughed slightly at the look of it.

"You underestimated me?" Reo said angrily. "Seijūrō probably told you I could defeat any of you in a one-on-one and he was right. Because I haven't even gone 100% this entire match." Ryuto said. "You haven't been going 100%?" Reo said anger consuming him. "More like 80%, and it looks like you'll never see 100." Ryuto said.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Hyuga standing up and determination flared in his eyes. _Took you long enough_ Ryuto thought. After Reo and Ryuto's conversation, the buzzer sounded signaling the end of the third quarter. As the team gathered on the bench, everyone saw that Hyuga was getting ready.

"Hyuga you're going in?" Izuki asked. "Yeah, I now know how to stop Mibuchi." Hyuga said confidently.

He then turned to Ryuto and said: "All thanks to you."

"I'm just glad you're back on your feet." Ryuto said smiling. "Ryuto-kun, you said you'd explain what Akashi-kun said." Kuroko said. "If I do it'll bring down the morale." Ryuto said. "It doesn't matter, it's something we all should know." the coach said. "Don't say I didn't warn you. If I use the Zone for any longer than maybe five minutes I loose it forever." Ryuto said.

Everyone was silent for a moment until the coach spoke up.

"It's a set back, but we have to pull through it." the coach said. "She's right, and besides even without the Zone you're strong." Kiyoshi said. "Thanks guys." Ryuto said hanging his head. "It still does sting that one of our strongest weapons won't work soon, but we all know what you're capable of at 100%." Hyuga said. "Thanks guys. Even going at 80% is taking a lot out of me. I'll have to save 100% for the final minutes along with what I have left with the Zone." Ryuto said.

"Let's win this! Seirin, fight!" Hyuga called out. "Yeah!" the team replied in unison.

Hyuga, Izuki, Kiyoshi, Kuroko, and Kagami walked onto the court while the rest returned to the bench. As Ryuto sat down, the coach sat down next to him.

"Stay warm, you might have to go in soon." she said. "Kiyoshi?" Ryuto asked. "Yeah, he's nearing his limit." the coach answered. "I will." Ryuto said.

The quarter then started with Seirin starting with the possession. Izuki received the inbound and passed to Kuroko. He then used Ignite Pass Kai and passed at a quick speed towards Hyuga. Hyuga received the ball and set up for a shot, but Mibuchi closed the gap fast. Hyuga hesitated for a moment, but regained his stance and quickly released the ball, scoring a three. On defense Hyuga riled everyone up as Rakuzan brought the ball down the court. The ball was then passed to Reo with Hyuga ready to defend. Reo set up for a shot and Hyuga defended by raising his arm. Reo then crouched down again for a fake, but noticed that Hyuga feet never left the ground. Reo then jumped again and Hyuga jumped with him. Reo released the ball and Hyuga was able to graze it as he released. The ball bounced off the rim and Nebuya and Kiyoshi got ready to jump. _Despite he only shot Void when up against me, Hyuga still noticed how the center of gravity was for each shot. Now how will Kiyoshi fare against Nebuya despite his injury_ Ryuto thought. Ryuto noticed how Riko gripped his hand tightly, she was nervous at how Kiyoshi would turn out. Hyuga then called out to Kiyoshi which caused him to snap. Kiyoshi moved back slightly and spun around Nebuya, he then jumped up and caught the rebound. Kiyoshi then through the ball down the court to Kagami. Kagami received the ball and dunked it scoring back to back for Seirin. On Rakuzan's offense, the ball was passed to Reo again and Hyuga was there ready to defend. Reo stood still for a moment calculating what to do. He then set up for a shot and Ryuto could see which one he was going for.

"You're so desperate to prove you're better you go for Void." Ryuto said quietly. "How did you know he was going for Void?" Koga asked. "Because his pride is on the line and he wants to crush Hyuga with his strongest move." Ryuto explained.

Reo then jumped for the shot, but Hyuga recovered from the paralysis quickly and jumped up as well. As Reo released the ball Hyuga swatted it down; defeating the Void shot. Izuki then recovered the ball and passed towards Kuroko. Kuroko redirected the pass to Kiyoshi, who dribbled towards the basket. He then jumped for a dunk, but Nebuya caught up to him and jumped to block the ball. Kiyoshi then changed the position the ball was in and passed to Hyuga. Hyuga then jumped up and released the ball scoring a three. On Rakuzan's offense, Mayazumi inbounded to Seijūrō and he calmly brought the ball to the three point line. He then stopped just before Kagami's defensive range. His eyes widened as he could feel Kagami's ferocity even from a distance. He tried to move inside Kagami's defensive range, but was forced to withdraw and he passed to Reo. _Even Seijūrō is spooked by Taiga. To be honest even I wouldn't want to be his opponent right now_ Ryuto thought to himself. Time passed and Rakuzan inbounded the ball and Seirin was using the full court stealth man-to-man defense. Hayama broke away from his mark and called out for a pass, but Kuroko was there to steal it. He then passed to Kiyoshi and he drove towards the basket. However, Nebuya stood in his way and Kiyoshi tried to push through, but Nebuya would not budge. Kagami the moved towards Kiyoshi asking for a pass, this caused for Nebuya's attention to be switched and Kiyoshi used the moment to get past Nebuya and scored a dunk. On the inbound, Seijūrō gave an order for the other four to play offense while he stayed behind. Reo tried to argue, but Seijūrō shot him a glare and the four Rakuzan players went to offense. Seijūrō then threw the ball down the court and it was received by Hayama. Ryuto looked towards Seijūrō, his cold aura was still there but it seemed to grow. Ryuto's eyes widened, it was the same as it was with Aomine, just by looking at him he could tell his strength had increased.

 _But how? The one fundamental way to enter is a strong passion for basketball. Maybe he could've entered it all those years ago, but now I don't what to think. Yet looking at him I know he can enter. His trigger is something that at it's core doesn't help a team sport: he's discarding his teammates._ Ryuto thought.

Ryuto looked back towards his team and saw that Kagami had stolen the ball. He began to dribble the ball down the court where Seijūrō was waiting for him. Ryuto shot up with his eyes wide.

"Taiga don't!" Ryuto yelled out.

His cry was left on deaf ears as Kagami jumped for a Meteor Jam. As he lifted the ball to release it, Seijūrō lifted his arm up in the air and grabbed the ball. Kagami the fell on the floor and slid towards the out of bounds. He stood up and looked to Seijūrō in disbelief.

"Allow me to show you the difference in social standings to all individuals on this court." Seijūrō said as a light red lightning sparked in his eyes.

Seijūrō then dribbled down the court at blinding speeds. Kagami stood up and gave chase, but Seijūrō easily dribbled past him with incredible ball handling. Hyuga and Izuki then moved to defend him, but with a swift movement they lost their balance; and instead of sitting, Seijūrō forced them to kneel. Kuroko and Kiyoshi jumped up to stop him, but Seijūrō moved to the side and scored behind them. He the stood at the opposite end of the court and the ball fell to the ground soon after.

"I've only ever seen one person go that fast, not even I could keep up." Ryuto said aloud.

No one on the bench bothered to ask who he meant, they were still reeling in Seijūrō's overwhelming display of power. The buzzer then sounded for a timeout: Seirin's timeout. Ryuto sat back down, he had yet to blink at what he had just seen. He had made up his mind, there were still more than five minutes left on the clock he had to use it all. The bench was quite everyone had the same question on their minds: how to stop Seijūrō?

"I'll do it." Kagami said. "Wait, all by yourself?" Furihata said. "Yeah, we'll leave it to you." Hyuga said. "You're taking this really lightly Captain." Fukuda said. "Yeah, I think that's appropriate." Izuki added.

"No, he won't be doing it alone." Ryuto said. "But what about-" the coach began to say before she was cut off by Ryuto. "I don't care about my limit. Right now the best chance we have at stopping Seijūrō is two people in the Zone. If I'm able to put everything I can do on the line to help us win, I'll gladly trade my Zone for that." Ryuto said. "No need for the speech, we all knew you would say that. That's the reason why we have two aces, to stop members of the Generation of Miracles" Hyuga said. "The question is, who do we sub out." Izuki said.

The was a silent pause until Kiyoshi raised his hand.

"I'll do it." Kiyoshi said. "But we need you to handle Nebuya." Izuki argued. "I'm reaching my own limit soon, so might as well let Ryuto who still has some gas left finish this." Kiyoshi said. "Plus Nebuya won't be a problem any longer, now that Seijūrō is in the Zone." Ryuto said.

Ryuto then turned to Kiyoshi and bowed.

"I promise I won't let you down." Ryuto said. "You haven't yet, so don't start now." Kiyoshi said. "Right." Ryuto said.

"Let's win this Taiga." Ryuto said. "Yeah." Kagami responded.

As the two began to walk, the whole team had their fist on the two boys. The two knew what that meant.

"Can't let them down now." Ryuto said. "Not a chance." Kagami said smiling.

"Don't try anything stupid." the coach said. "You're talking to Taiga right?" Ryuto asked with a smile. "I'm talking to both of you. Win this for all of us." she said.

She then held her gaze on Ryuto for a moment longer, which Ryuto met. He then nodded and turned to enter the court.

In the stands, Imayoshi asked Aomine to explain what he meant by going deeper into the Zone.

"This is all based on my experience, but when you first enter the Zone you open one door. From there you begin to descend and the more you focus the deeper you go. Once you reach the bottom there is another door, with someone guarding it, like a gatekeeper. Supposedly once enter there there is a Zone beyond the Zone. What I can tell you for sure is that Kagami is still descending while Ryuto is struggling to fully open that second door. If any of those two want to defeat Akashi one of them will have to open that second door." Aomine explained.

After the timeout, Seirin prepared for offense. When they passed half court and made it to the three point line, the whole team felt Seijūrō's presence. Then, in a blink of an eye, Seijūrō stole the ball away from Izuki. He then drove down the court, but Kagami stood in front of him. Unfazed, Seijūrō ankle broke him and continued; but Kagami was quick to react, he got up quickly and tried to steal the ball. However, Seijūrō ankle broke him again with a simple crossover. Seijūrō then taunted Kagami and set up for a shot. Ryuto then appeared and jumped in front of Seijūrō, determined to block it. Seijūrō simply scoffed and lobbed the ball under Ryuto and scored a basket.

"Damn it!" Ryuto yelled out. "Is that really all you have." Seijūrō said jogging back to defense.

On Seirin's offensive possession, the ball was passed to Kagami and Seijūrō defended him. Kagami tried to get away, but Seijūrō slapped the ball away. The ball was knocked out of bounds and the team regrouped for the inbound.

 _Taiga's reached the bottom as well and from the looks of it he either can't open that second door or he has yet to see it. Damn, the only way for us to win is if one of us opens that door_ Ryuto thought.

Kuroko then walked up to Kagami and told him to give up. Ryuto fought the urge to face palm.

"How can he say that at a time like this?" Ryuto muttered. "I don't mean on the game, but fighting alone." Kuroko said. "Next time lead off with that. You almost gave all of us heart attacks man!" Ryuto called out to Kuroko.

Kuroko ignored him and continued talking: " We did say we rely on you, and the same goes for Ryuto-kun, but I think that may be too heavy for the both of you. If that's the case, will you share the burden with me?"

Kagami began to argue, but he stopped when he saw Kuroko's face.

"You're right, I'll take your help. The three of us will defeat Akashi." Kagami said.

Ryuto nodded and prepared for offense. Seirin then inbounded the ball and Izuki passed to Kuroko, who redirected it to Ryuto. Ryuto then jumped for a lay up, but Seijūrō managed to block it and the ball bounced off the rim. Seijūrō then grabbed the loose ball and sprinted down the court. Kuroko, Kagami, and Ryuto got in front of him forming a line; Kagami in front, Kuroko behind him, and Ryuto last. Seijūrō analyzed it for a moment before attacking and then attacked to the right. Kagami moved to the right, but Seijūrō cut back to the left and moved past him. However, Kuroko appeared in his way and it caught Seijūrō off guard. Kuroko the jabbed at the ball causing it to leave Seijūrō hands and Ryuto sprinted after it. He then recovered it and drove down the court. Hayama then moved in front of him, but Ryuto crossed over in one direction and then cut back to get away. As Ryuto neared the basket, Seijūrō appeared in front of him determined to stop him.

"I have to get you back for before." Ryuto said.

He then crossed over to the right and in that same instant back to his left. Seijūrō then lost his balance and fell to the ground. Ryuto then moved past him and jumped, dunking the ball. The crowd began to cheer at what they had just witnessed. The cheers ranged from: "He just ankle broke Akashi!" to "Those guys are crazy!" Ryuto looked back to see a stunned Seijūrō, who had yet to get up.

"What happened to acting all high and mighty?" Ryuto asked as he jogged past him.

In the stands, the other Generation of Miracles members were in awe that they managed to defeat Seijūrō.

"Ryu-chan just ankle broke Akashi-kun.." Satsuki said in disbelief. "That's going to hurt his pride." Aomine added.

"To think Akashi would fall to his own move." Takao said. "It seems Ryuto wanted to do that from the beginning of the game." Midorima said with his eyes wide.

"Aka-chin…" Murasakibara muttered. "He really is strong." Himuro said.

"Ryutocchi just did that!" Kise said in surprise. "But you also can't detract what Kuroko and Kagami did, they were the reason Ryuto was able to do that." Kasamatsu added.

On Rakuzan's next possession, Seijūrō shot the ball, but it bounced off the rim leaving Rakuzan surprised that Seijūrō had missed. Ryuto then got the rebound and after a series of passes, Kagami dunked the ball in.

 _Taiga, you opened the door slightly just now. Looks like you can handle this for now_ Ryuto thought.

His consciousness then drifted to his own second door and watched as it slowly closed. Ryuto smiled knowing he would not need to open it just yet. Returning back to the real world, he saw that Seijūrō was also no longer in the Zone. Ryuto then looked towards the scoreboard, it read eight minutes, he had only used about a minute and a half, so he still had some time left and also that the score difference was at 10. _We have to make the final push now_ Ryuto thought. As the quarter continued, Seijūrō began to make mistakes; throwing bad passes and missing easy shots. On another attempt, Seijūrō passed the ball to Reo, forcefully stopping his one man play, but the pass was bad and Reo was forced to shoot. The ball bounced off the rim and Ryuto got the rebound throwing the ball down the court to Izuki. Hayama then got in front of Izuki, but Izuki passed to Hyuga who scored a lay up. After another turnover from Seijūrō, Kagami recovered it and passed to Izuki. Kagami then blitzed down the court, to then receive an Ignite Pass Kai from Kuroko, which he dunked. Ryuto looked over to the scoreboard and saw that there were five minutes left and it was a one possession game. He then looked over to Seijūrō who hung his head in defeat. _Did me ankle breaking him really hurt his pride that much?_ Ryuto thought. The buzzer then sounded; Rakuzan had called a timeout. Ryuto sat down and grabbed a water bottle. He looked over to Kuroko who was watching Seijūrō.

"Hey Kuroko, why are you staring at Seijūrō so intently?" Ryuto asked. "I don't know actually. Something just seems off." Kuroko said. "I didn't know ankle breaking him would kill his spirit so badly." Ryuto said. "We should keep our eyes open just in case." Kuroko said.

The timeout then ended and as Ryuto walked onto the court he felt a familiar sensation coming from Rakuzan's bench. He looked towards them and saw Seijūrō smiling. Ryuto smiled too, but at the same time he was afraid, afraid of what was to come in the last five minutes. Before Ryuto had a chance to speak, the game resumed. Hyuga called out to stop them on defense, but as Seijūrō drove down the court, his aura felt different and Kagami had felt it as well. Seijūrō crossed over in one direction, but quickly cut back in the other direction. Kuroko then appeared ready to use the same tactic as before, but he soon felt the same aura that Kagami had felt and hesitated. Ryuto sprinted to stop him, but Seijūrō passed to Reo. Surprised for a moment, Reo set up for a three and made it.

"You're kidding?!" Hyuga said surprised. "Yes, Akashi-kun's real self has awoken. No doubt their far more formidable then before." Kuroko said. "I'll handle Seijūrō, if what you say is true it'll be master versus apprentice." Ryuto said with grey sparks in his eyes. "I'll help you so you don't waste all your Zone." Kagami argued. "For now I want to do it myself. Personal reasons." Ryuto said.

On Rakuzan's next offensive possession, Ryuto moved to defend Seijūrō. Seeing him approach, Seijūrō stopped and passed to Hayama on the inside. _Crap, he can read things that quickly?_ Ryuto thought. On the next play, Seijūrō passed again, this time to Mayazumi, which he redirect to Nebuya; he then jumped and scored a dunk. On Seirin's offensive, Kiyoshi scored right back with another dunk. Seijūrō then jogged past Kagami and Kagami watched as he passed by analyzing him. _He's trying to figure him out as well_ Ryuto thought. Seijūrō then stopped jogging and turned to Seirin, with bright red lightning in his eyes. Hyuga and Izuki let out a surprised gasp while Kagami seemed eager to see what Seijūrō would do.

"Don't brace yourself so much. You don't have to worry it won't be the same as before." Seijūrō said. "Is that supposed to reassure us?" Ryuto asked. "Though this is the Zone, it's merely me reverting back to my condition moments ago. I myself will no longer be changing so drastically. For the other four; however, I can't speak for." Seijūrō said.

Seirin looked towards the other Rakuzan players and saw that each one of them had the same bright red lightning in their eyes. _So with those plays he did early, he distributed the power. Funny how things work sometimes_ Ryuto thought. He then smiled and began to laugh. Everyone looked towards him surprised and Ryuto's emotion.

"Did I say something funny Ryuto?" Seijūrō asked. "No it's not that," Ryuto said as his laughter died down, "this is the you I've been waiting to play. So bring it! Show everything I've taught you!"

Seijūrō then let out a chuckle before responding.

"I believe I said I already improved on everything you taught me. I also said I was grateful for it, but if you want me to defeat you with what you taught me I'll gladly do so…cousin." Seijūrō said.

Ryuto's face only showed determination and his aura was burning hot.

"Why would he call him out like that?" Koga said surprised. "I think we're about to see Ryuto-kun go 100%." the coach said.

 _Please Ryuto-kun don't over do it_ Riko prayed.

Back on the court, Hyuga tried to get away from Reo, but his defensive pressure was too strong. He called to Izuki to pass the ball to him, but the ball was cut off by Hayama. Hayama dribbled down the court and Kagami moved in front of him to defend. Hayama then used all five fingers on his dribble, but Kagami was able to keep up. Hayama then stopped his advance and passed to Seijūrō. Seijūrō then passed again to Mayazumi, with him sending and Ignite Pass to Nebuya. Nebuya grabbed the alley-oop, but Kagami jumped to block it. However, he could not reach the height and Nebuya jammed the ball into the basket. Kagami struggled to get back and when he did he looked tired out.

"Hey you need a breather. You can't access the Zone anymore." Ryuto said. "I'm fine! Just give me a few seconds!" Kagami argued. "You need more then seconds. At this rate neither of us will be able to open the second door completely." Ryuto said. "Completely?" Kagami asked. "Yeah, I was able to partially open it and access some of that power. In fact, I'm doing that right now. The door is slowly closing and once it does I'm done. I'll try to do something until you can open it." Ryuto said. "Why me? You have it partially opened? Open it completely!" Kagami said. "I can't. I don't have the motive to fully open it and as long as I'm playing Seijūrō that door will never fully open." Ryuto explained. "But how do I do that?" Kagami asked. "That's something you have to find." Ryuto said and he jogged to offense.

On offense, Hyuga once again got the ball. He tried using Barrier Jumper to get away, but Reo managed to get close to graze the ball. Under the basket, Ryuto tried to match Nebuya's strength but could not do it.

"You're weak compared to Kiyoshi." Nebuya said as he jumped up for the rebound.

Nebuya then threw the ball down the court to a waiting Hayama. Hayama began to drive down the court, but Izuki stood in front of him. Hayama then did a crossover to his left and Izuki followed trying to swipe at the ball, but Hayama spun back around to avoid it. Kuroko then appeared in front of Hayama intent on swiping the ball, but Kuroko lost his footing and hit Hayama instead. The ball was loose, but the referee called a foul. In the few moments they had, Seirin caught their breaths all of them were at the point of exhaustion. Even Ryuto was panting harder then usual. _Damn keeping up with them is harder then I thought_ Ryuto thought. He the looked towards the bench and saw how helpless Riko looked. Seeing here like that hurt him a lot more then he showed. _What a pathetic person I am. I can barely keep a promise_ Ryuto thought. He then looked towards Rakuzan and all of them seemed unfazed by how fast paced the game was; Seijūrō was smiling, but for what Ryuto could not tell.

"Go for it, Kuroko! Don't give up!" a voice cried out.

Ryuto looked towards his blue haired friend and saw how his eyes lit up; in both surprise and happiness. Ryuto then looked towards the stands figuring out where the voice came from. Kuroko was able to spot the person quickly and his eyes radiated happiness. Ryuto followed his gaze and saw a boy with brown hair and brown eyes staring intently at Kuroko. He was accompanied by another boy who had black hair and matching colored eyed. Based on Kuroko's expression, Ryuto inferred that it was the Ogiwara person he had referred to the previous day. Ryuto looked towards Kuroko again, but this time he was sad at seeing his friend. Ryuto looked back up to Ogiwara and saw him showing a basketball and had a large smile on his face. Ryuto looked back to Kuroko and saw his expression changed from sadness to happiness and tears started forming in his eyes.

 _That kid just went through more emotions then he was ever gone through in his whole life_ Ryuto thought.

The another voice was heard in the audience and it was distinctly Aomine's.

"Oi! Tetsu, Kagami, Ryu! You guys won against us, right? If you can't defeat Rakuzan, I'll go after your heads!" he called out.

Then Kise's voice was heard right after.

"Let me say the same goes for us! Go and win, Seirin!"

Midorima's voice soon followed.

Go, and defeat Akashi and Rakuzan!"

The the crowd followed suit cheering on the underdog team. Ryuto looked towards his own family and his bother and sister where screaming as loud as they could while his dad gave him and thumbs up and smile and his mother also sent him a smile. Ryuto hung his head and smiled he gripped his shirt and tears began to fall from his eyes.

"Goddammit. Now we have to win." Ryuto muttered wiping the tears away.

Seirin then turned to face Rakuzan all with newfound determination.

"People cheering for you seems to give you power." Kagami said. "Yes" Kuroko responded.

Ryuto turned to Kagami and saw as his eyes widened. _Well looks like I won't need to open that door_ Ryuto said. The team then formed a circle as Kagami talked to them. With under two minutes left, it was time for the final push. Seijūrō dribbled the ball down and felt that everyone on Seirin was different yet nothing had changed. He deduced Kagami was no longer in the Zone, but still focus. While Ryuto was also no longer in the Zone and had the same focus as Kagami. The other three radiated the same emotions as the two aces which caused Seijūrō to be cautious. Rakuzan then began to pass the ball around, and Seirin was quick to react. After one loop of passes, the ball returned to Seijūrō and Reo called out for a pass. Instead of passing to Reo, Seijūrō passed to Hayama. Hayama then drove to the basket after breaking away from Kiyoshi and jumped for a layup. However, Kagami jumped to block with red lightning in his eyes. Hayama seemed unfazed as he ducked under Kagami for a double-clutch. As Hayama prepared to release the ball, Hyuga jumped up to block it. Hayama stared at him wide eyed as he slapped the ball down. Rakuzan was left surprised at what they had just witnessed.

On offense, Rakuzan prepared for Seirin's attack. Seijūrō watched as Kagami barreled down the court, lightning in his eyes. As he neared, Ryuto moved from out under the basket and Kuroko moved away from Mayazumi. Seijūrō's eyes widened in realization.

"True Zone?" he whispered.

"I'm fighting for everyone!" Kagami yelled out.

With each of Kagami's movements Seirin moved to a different position. Seijūrō prepared himself for the attack, but was unable to stop it. Kagami passed to Kuroko, who suddenly appeared next to Seijūrō. He then tapped the ball to go behind Seijūrō where Kagami was there to grab it. Nebuya and Hayama moved to defend Kagami, but Kagami passed to Ryuto. Ryuto smiled the lobbed the ball to the basket where Kagami was in the air to dunk the ball in. Ryuto barely had a chance to congratulate his friend as Rakuzan was already preparing for offense. Hyuga called out to stop them on defense and continue to pressure Rakuzan. The ball was then passed to Reo and Hyuga was there to defend him. Reo adjusted his feet and shot Heaven, as Hyuga jumped to block it Reo's feet never left the ground. He ducked under Hyuga and drove forwards before setting up again to shoot. Seijūrō called out for him to pass just as Kagami was jumping to block it. Reo then tucked the ball in and sent a pass to Nebuya. However, Kuroko was there to intercept the pass. Kuroko then passed to Hyuga and Seirin sprinted down the court. Hyuga threw the ball towards Kagami and he continued the drive. Seijūrō then called out to Mayazumi to guard Hyuga just as Kagami released the ball towards him. Hyuga set up for a shot, but Mayazumi was able to block it and the ball bounced off the rim. Nebuya caught the rebound and it was Rakuzan's ball.

"Stop them here and victory is within reach!" Hyuga called out.

The bench began to call out 'defense' as Rakuzan prepared to attack. Seijūrō then dribbled forwards and with quick crossover he caused Kagami to fall. Before Ryuto could react, Seijūrō had already released the ball and scored.

"The winner will be me. It's a century before your time to defeat Rakuzan!" Seijūrō said with determination.

As Seirin prepared for the inbound, Ryuto glanced over to the scoreboard. He gritted his teeth as the seconds counted down from 40. The score was 105-98 they were behind seven points. As Seirin inbounded the ball, Seijūrō called out for Rakuzan to stay strong on defense. As soon as Seirin prepared for offense, they could all feel the defensive pressure Rakuzan was exerting. Izuki scanned the court, and saw that Kagami was being double teamed. Ryuto then moved towards Izuki and called out for a pass. He then received it and squared up to the basket; Nebuya stood in front of him ready to defend. Ryuto tried to drive, but he was too exhausted to try his crossover. He then saw Hyuga ask for a pass and sent it his way. Hyuga caught the ball and prepared to shoot, but Reo was quick to react. Kuroko then called for the ball and Hyuga passed towards him. Kuroko redirected the ball to Kagami in the small opening of the double team. Kagami caught the ball and released the ball scoring a three. Ryuto looked towards the scoreboard again; thirty seconds and down by four defense was what mattered now. Hyuga called out for the defense to not allow for Rakuzan to score. Rakuzan passed the ball around, Ryuto inferred they were wasting time by passing and waiting for the last second to score. He tried to get in front of Nebuya in order to cut off any pass that came his way, but his strength was far greater than Ryuto's. Reo then sent a pass towards Nebuya and Ryuto tried with all of his strength to get around him, but it was no good. Then Izuki appeared and cut off the pass. Ryuto silently cheered as he sprinted down the court. Izuki tried passing towards Kagami, but Seijūrō moved to stop it. Izuki then passed to Hyuga, the clock continued to wind down, he then set up for a shot, but Reo jumped to block it. Ryuto watched as Hyuga's feet shifted position and realized what he was doing.

 _He's going for Heaven, now?_ Ryuto thought.

He then waved the thought out of his head and prepared to catch the rebound. Hyuga then jumped and released the shot, while Reo hit him in the process. The ball sailed and the referee blew his whistle. The ball then bounced on the rim and spun around it. Tension was high as everyone watched the ball spin. The ball then stopped and tilted inwards, scoring three. Ryuto let out a sigh of relief and looked towards the scoreboard. _Damn, only one free throw won't cut it_ Ryuto thought. Seirin then cheered in happiness as they now had one more chance, Ryuto joined them but he still felt uneasy. Ryuto looked towards the bench, everyone was ecstatic. He then looked Riko, who's eye's were watering in happiness. _This will end with us the victors_ Ryuto thought as he turned back to the team.

"Taiga and I will go for the rebound." Ryuto said. "Are you sure you have the strength left to do it?" Izuki asked. "I got just enough for one last play. Captain, we're counting on you." Ryuto said. "Don't worry I know the plan." Hyuga said as he walked to the free throw line.

Ryuto and Kagami set up in between Rakuzan's players; Kagami in between Hayama and Reo, while Ryuto was with Nebuya. Ryuto let out another sigh and let his consciousness drift. He then opened his eyes and a spark of grey appeared. He looked over to Kagami and nodded, then to Hyuga who nodded as well. Hyuga then prepared for his shot bouncing the ball a few times, he then squared up and released. The ball sailed in slow motion and Ryuto prepared for the rebound, even in the Zone he could not match Nebuya's strength, but he had to go all out in order to grab it. The ball then bounced off the rim and in that second Ryuto jumped. The ball then bounced off the back board and everyone followed. Using that moment of advantage, Ryuto grabbed the ball and secured it. He then landed and saw as Nebuya landed too and watched for Ryuto's next move. _Damn, I have to do something_ Ryuto thought. Ryuto then saw Kuroko separate from him mark, and he knew where to pass it to. He sent the pass to Kuroko, who caught it and set up for his Phantom Shot. Ryuto moved under the basket and saw Kagami do the same. The two friends nodded and knew what they were going to do. Seijūrō then jumped to block Kuroko's shot, calling out that it was the end.

"No, not yet. I'm the shadow, but also an even darker shadow for one who can become light." Kuroko said with a smile and released the ball.

In that moment, both Kagami and Ryuto jumped into the air; each with the ball in their hand. The two then slammed the ball into the basket moments before the buzzer rang. The referee then called that the basket counted and the tow boys high fived each other and let out a yell. The announcer then called out that Seirin High School were the victors of the Winter Cup. Seirin then began to scream in happiness and the players on the bench sprinted to the court to partake in the victory celebration. Everyone had tears of joy and let out a "We did it!" yell. Everyone the jumped onto Kagami and Ryuto congratulating them on their victory point. Ryuto then walked over to Riko and gave her a smile, which she returned.

"Now seems like as good of a time as any." Ryuto said to her as he closed the gap between them. "For what?" she asked. "Something cliched." Ryuto said.

He then picked her up and kissed her. Riko was surprised for a moment, but she then returned the kiss. He then put her down and the two separated but they remained close enough for only them to talk.

"You do know everyone just saw that." Riko said. "I know and I did say it was cliched." Ryuto said laughing.

Seirin were all caught by surprise to what Ryuto had just done. Hyuga's mouth dropped in surprise, while Kiyoshi and Izuki simply smiled and patted their friend on the back.

"A bit to slow Hyuga." Izuki whispered.

Kuroko and Kagami also had surprised expressions on their faces, but were still happy for both of them. The team then resumed to celebrate their victory. Ryuto then saw out of the corner of his eye Seijūrō walking towards Kuroko.

"Riko give me a second." he said before kissing her again.

Seijūrō then walked up to Kuroko and held out his hand. Kuroko smiled and shook his friend and former teammates hand.

"This is a victory for you… no all of you. Congratulations. However, next time we will win." Seijūrō said. "Yeah. Let's play again and many times after that." Kuroko said.

"As for you Ryuto, I now know what you were trying to show me." Seijūrō said turning to his cousin. "I'm just glad I got to play the Seijūrō I knew from so many years ago." Ryuto said. "Looks like you're ahead again in out record." Seijūrō said. "How about we start a new one? 1-0, I'm in the lead." Ryuto said extending his hand. "I can agree to that." Seijūrō said shaking his hand.

The two teams then lined up for a bow and thanked each other for a good game. Then Shutoku and Kaijo were called down to the court as the awards were presented. Shutoku was given the third place medal, Rakuzan the second place medal and finally Seirin received first place and the trophy. The team then gather for a picture with the trophy standing in the middle of them. Ryuto then took Riko's hand and the team took the picture.

Ryuto then looked up and and wondered what life would be like once everything settled down.

 **AN: Here comes to a close the game against Rakuzan. Firstly I want to apologize for the time this took to upload. The reason being was work. Since summer started I was working as a teacher for all of June(follow me on Twitter to know more) and when I would get home I would be dead tired. After that I had a couple days off and wrote as much as I could, but still could not finish it. Now in July I'm working another job and hours are a lot longer there so that also hindered my upload time. Along with those two reasons and not having a concrete upload schedule causes these upload times.**

 **With apologies out of the way, now it's time to thanks everyone who has stuck around. I wholeheartedly want to thank all of you for the support you've given me, even those of you who don't review but still comeback. This story isn't over, there are at least three more chapter before this story fully wraps up and then it's on to the sequel. I'll try to get them out as soon as I can, but mo promises on an official upload. Once again I'd like to thank all of you and remember for any new people to follow, favorite, and/or review this story if you've enjoyed. Also follow me on Twitter so you can get updates on how stories are going and other stuff I put on there.**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Finally updated this story! Sorry it took so long, I'll explain more at the end. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it was difficult to write. Remember I do NOT own KnB, I only own my character!**

Chapter 24

Back to Normal

It had been almost a week since Winter Cup had ended and the buzz of Seirin's victory had yet to die down. Ryuto would walk down the halls of the school and everyone would be eyeing him. Sometimes someone would walk up to him and congratulate him and the team for their victory and Ryuto would always give them the same answer:

"Thanks for supporting us!"

As far as his grades were concerned, they had dropped a little but not that much. He still had to work his butt off to catch up on the work, but his teachers seemed to understand his position. At his cousins house, his family would only talk about the and how intense it was. Toshiro specifically seemed to want to try out all the moves he saw in the game. Ryuto would only laugh and say he was not yet skilled enough. Whenever he would say that, his brother would put on a pouty face and walk away. His sister meanwhile, was still too young to fully understand the stakes of what was happening, but she would congratulate him nonetheless. His father would tell him that he's improved a lot since elementary school, but his emotions still affected the way he played. Ryuto agreed to that since he knew it was a factor. His mother seemed to echo his fathers opinions, while also adding that she likes how much the sport has had an impact on his life.

"Goddammit, I knew you were going to that." Ryuto said groaning. "Come on sweetie. You have to us tell more about this girl." his mother said prying. "'Us' or you?" Ryuto asked. "Well it is my responsibility to know about these things. I want to knew what she sees in you. It better not be that hair of yours. It's much too long." his mother said. "It's fine the way it is mom." Ryuto argued. "As long as I'm here, you're not going out with that kind of hair." his mother said sternly. "Better not fight her." his father warned.

Ryuto groaned again and said that he would cut it as soon as he could.

"Wonderful! Now tell me about the girl." his mother said. "I want to know too." a voice said behind Ryuto.

Ryuto looked back to see Satsuki entering the family room. Ryuto groaned again, he never had wanted to talk about his relationship.

"Her name's Aida Riko. I call her by her first name, Riko. I've known her since the first day of school. Our relationship started a bit before Winter Cup, but we haven't done 'couple' stuff." Ryuto said using air quotes for 'couple.' "From that kiss I can say you both really like each other." his mother said smiling. "You know I did say you two looked cute together that one time. After I said it, you two seemed awkward around each other." Satsuki said. "We weren't thing yet. I would feel really awkward whenever I was alone with her." Ryuto said placing his hand behind his head. "You're doing your nervous quirk. How many times were you two alone?" his mother asked. "Ok that's enough for today." Ryuto said as he abruptly stood up and walked away from the couch. "Before we leave, I would like to meet her. If that's alright." his mother said. "I'll ask." Ryuto said as he walked towards his room.

Ryuto let out a sigh and laid down on his bed. _Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day_ Ryuto thought.

The next morning Ryuto got ready for school. His bother had yet to still wake up and he knew Toshiro would still sleep for awhile. He walked to the kitchen, where Satsuki was there making breakfast. Ryuto gulped fearfully and looked towards what she was doing. When he saw she was making cereal he let out a sigh of relief. _At least a bowl of cereal won't spontaneously light on fire_ Ryuto thought. She then turned to see her cousin standing in the doorway.

"Good morning Ryu-chan." Satsuki said with a smile. "Same to you. Are your parents out already?" he asked as he opened the fridge. "Yeah," she said nodding, "a few minutes ago actually. What about your family are they up yet?" "No, they arrived, what the day of the game and they've been doing stuff since then, so I doubt they'll wake up any time soon." Ryuto as he placed bread in the toaster. "By the way, your sister is adorable. She's so shy it's cute." Satsuki said. "Yeah she's like that." Ryuto said.

The two then finished their breakfast and walked out of the house. After meeting up with Aomine, the three walked towards their respective schools. Ryuto waved goodbye as Satsuki and Aomine walked into Tōō and he continued towards Seirin. When he arrived, Kuroko was also walking through the gate of the school. He called out to his blue haired friend and he stopped to greet him.

"Good morning Ryuto-kun." Kuroko greeted. "Yeah same to you. Thanks for waiting for me." Ryuto said. "It's not a problem." Kuroko said.

The two boys then walked into the school and headed for their homeroom; they both shared a homeroom, something Ryuto would forget from time to time.

"Hey Kuroko can I ask you something?" Ryuto asked. "How do I handle the attention after winning? It's easy really." Kuroko said. "Exactly-wait-no-not that," Ryuto said quickly, "want to come over to my place today? My family's in town and I thought you and Taiga would like to come by. I'm sure Toshiro would love to meet you." "I don't mind going. By the way who's Toshiro?" Kuroko asked. "Oh right, I haven't told many people about my family. He's my little brother, he's three years younger then me." Ryuto said. "Should be interesting to meet the rest of the Rishihara's." Kuroko said smiling. "Yeah defiantly." Ryuto said.

He then felt his phone buzz; he took it out and saw he had a message from Riko. Ryuto smiled and got up from his chair.

"Hey I'll be right back Kuroko. If homeroom starts and I'm still gone, then tell the teacher I'm in the bathroom." Ryuto said. "Ok." Kuroko said not looking up from a book he was reading.

 _When did he get a book?_ Ryuto thought. He then walked out of the classroom and headed for the court yard. When he got there he saw Riko standing under a tree staring at her phone. He smiled again and walked towards her.

"Shouldn't you be at homeroom?" Ryuto asked her.

Riko looked up from her phone and turned to Ryuto she smiled and hugged him. She then separated from him, but kept her arms around his neck.

"How's your family reacting?" she asked. "Wow, leading off with that huh?" Ryuto said.

Riko nodded and urged him to continue.

"Fine really. My dad seems indifferent about it, well he's like that for most things, my brother thinks it's the grossest thing ever, my sister isn't old enough to understand, she thinks it's some kind of fairytale thing, and my mom is the one who really wants to know more. How about yours?" Ryuto asked. "Dad's all for it, since he really likes you, and my mom is happy for me about us." she explained. "Yeah Kagetora always seemed to act differently around me than with the others. Oh and before I forget, my parents, well my mom, wants to meet you." Ryuto said. "When? Today?" she asked surprised. "No, in a few days. My family is interesting and it's better to be prepared when you meet them." Ryuto said. "What, you need to give me a detailed briefing on how they are?" Riko asked laughing. "That was the plan." Ryuto said shrugging. "I was joking. It'll be fine you worry too much. Haven't I been saying that since we met?" Riko said with a smile. "Very true." Ryuto said.

The bell then rung for homeroom and the two looked towards the school and then back to each other and started laughing.

"Got to get to class." Ryuto said. "You're such a nerd." Riko said removing her arms form around Ryuto's neck.

She then kissed him and walked towards her class. Ryuto smiled and walked to his. When he arrived, the teacher was calling his name.

"Present." Ryuto said walking through the door. "Mr. Rishihara, that was another close call." the teacher said. "Sorry, I had, uh, business to take care of." Ryuto said nervously. "Take your seat." the teacher said.

Ryuto bowed slightly and walked over to his seat. Kuroko had not moved from where he was when Ryuto had left. Ryuto then sat down and let out a sigh.

"What happened to the bathroom excuse?" Kuroko asked not facing him. "It's sounds weird if I say it." Ryuto said.

The bell then sounded for first period; which for Ryuto was math. His grades were average in math, it was his weakest subject, and had dropped the most when he was playing basketball. He takes the class with Furihata so the two usually sit together for it. Furihata would occasionally ask how Ryuto handled all the attention they would get after winning. Ryuto would simply shrug and say that he would ignore all the eyes staring at him. The day went by slowly and when lunch finally came, Ryuto was exiting his physics class. He liked science, but physics was not his favorite class. During lunch, the first years all gathered in one area and would talk amongst themselves about random topics. During one of the conversations, Ryuto pulled Taiga aside to talk to him.

"Hey so I was wondering, if you wanted to come by my place after school? My family is in town and I thought you might want to come say hi. Kuroko's coming with too." Ryuto asked. "Yeah sure. I did tell you already I wanted to say hi to them." Kagami said happily. "Ok great after school we'll meet up by the main gate." Ryuto said. "Wait, isn't where you live also your cousins place?" Kagami asked. "Yeah. Is that a problem?" Ryuto asked. "No it's not. It'll just feel a bit weird is all." Kagami said.

The school day continued once the bell for ending lunch rang. Ryuto said goodbye to his friends and walked to his history class. Ryuto liked history, but he liked more world history; Japanese history was interesting, but it did not interest him as much. When last period rolled around, Ryuto prepared himself for his favorite class: English. Due to certain reasons, Ryuto was placed in the advanced class which was mostly comprised of third-years or second-years that were in the same predicament as Ryuto. There was only one student in the class, along with Ryuto, that was a first year. The student was a girl named Madoka and she was very competitive especially with Ryuto. Ryuto walked in the classroom and all eyes were on him since he was the last to arrive.

" _Sorry I'm late Mr. Ishida._ " Ryuto said bowing slightly. " _No need to apologize. Now sit down, we're about to start out discussion on the novel we just finished._ " Mr. Ishida said.

Mr. Ishida was a man in his mid 30's. He was a Japanese-American just like Ryuto, but was born in New York. He wore a simple white sweater and black khakis. He had neatly combed dark brown hair which was styled to the left. He would occasionally wear glasses, whenever he had to read from a book.

Ryuto nodded and quickly took his seat. He then opened his bag and pulled out the novel they were reading: _Fahrenheit 451_ by Ray Bradbury. He then opened his notebook and looked towards the board. He could see out of the corner of his eye that Madoka was staring him down. Ryuto then turned towards her and she quickly turned her head to the board. _That girl sure is odd_ Ryuto thought.

" _Now can someone give me a short summary of the novel?_ " Mr. Ishida said as he turned towards the students.

A few hands shot up, including Madoka's, while Ryuto lazily raised his.

" _Madoka?_ " Mr Ishida said. " _It's about a man who works in burning books, but after meeting a girl he begins to read books and discovers just how amazing a book is._ " Madoka said. " _Very good._ " Mr. Ishida said.

" _Now then, what other novel can you compare this one to?_ " Mr. Ishida said.

Once again a few hands shot up and Ryuto lazily raised his.

" _Ryuto?_ " Mr. Ishida said. " _It can be compared to many novels most about false utopias. A classic to compare it to would by_ 1984 _by George Orwell and a more modern novel to compare it to could be_ The Hunger Games _by Suzanne Collins. But calling the world of_ Hunger Games _as a false utopia is really dumb, in my opinion._ " Ryuto said.

" _Show off._ " Madoka muttered.

Mr. Ishida let out a slight chuckle before continuing.

" _Yes that's good. So let's continue on with a discussion._ " Mr. Ishida said.

Ryuto loved his English class. Despite knowing he had the best grade in the class, he never tried to flaunt it on purpose. His classmates seemed to look up to him, minus Madoka who resented him, and they would always ask him for help whenever they needed it. Sometimes Mr. Ishida would say, jokingly, that Ryuto should be teaching the class. Ryuto would take the compliment, but also hide his head in embarrassment. In his English class was where his grades were best, they were the least to lower when he was playing basketball. As class continued, Madoka would get increasingly competitive the more Mr. Ishida would call on Ryuto. As the final bell rang, everyone got up from their seats. Ryuto put his books away and as he stood up, Madoka was standing in front of him.

"Hey, what's up?" Ryuto asked nervously. "Just so you know, I will be better than you." Madoka said. "Uhhh…You do that." Ryuto said nervously.

She then turned away from him and exited the room.

"Damn she's weird." Ryuto said quietly.

"She defiantly has a fiery spirit." Mr. Ishida said. "I wouldn't say that, but I guess so." Ryuto said shrugging. "Anyways, Ryuto there's something I need you to do." Mr. Ishida said. "Did I miss something? I could've sworn I did all the work I missed." Ryuto said. "Relax. It's nothing big, just a small reading comprehension for the novel we're currently reading. Do it as homework and bring it to me as soon as you can." Mr. Ishida said. "Will do." Ryuto said.

He then bowed slightly and exited the room. He then walked towards the main gate where Kuroko and Kagami were waiting.

"Hey guys. Sorry I'm late. Mr. Ishida held me back to talk." Ryuto said. "You two are really close." Kagami said. "He's one of my favorite teachers honestly. And you could be with him too if your grades didn't suck." Ryuto said. "Shut up! You know I've never been good a studying." Kagami said. "Whatever excuse you got to use." Ryuto said.

"I can tell you two have known each other for a long time just based on that conversation." Kuroko said smiling. "Trust me Kuroko, I can tell you so much about this dumbass." Ryuto said. "You're the dumbass!" Kagami argued.

Kuroko then began to laugh and they set out towards where Ryuto was living. When the three friends got to their destination, Ryuto stopped and turned to his friends.

"Ok so somethings about my family you should know. Mainly you Kuroko, Taiga knows how my family is." Ryuto said.

Kuroko nodded in response.

"First thing is my dad: he's usually indifferent about everything and he's usually blunt with what he says. For my sister, Yuki; she's shy and it'll take some time for her to warm up to you. For my brother; he's easily excited about everything. Finally my mom; she's kinda flippant on her emotions. She can be angry one minute and the next really happy. That should give a good context on everyone." Ryuto explained.

Kuroko nodded again in response. Ryuto then let out a sigh and went up to the door of the house.

"I'm home and I brought some friends." Ryuto announced. "Who did you bring over?" his mother asked as she walked towards the door.

She then smiled as she saw Kagami standing in the door way.

"My, my Taiga it's been such a long time. And look how much you've grown. I remember when Ryuto used to be taller than you." she said. "It's good to see you too." Kagami said smiling.

Ryuto's father then appeared and saw Kagami standing as well.

"Well hello Taiga. Look how much you've grown." he said. "It's good to see you again as well." Kagami said shaking his hand.

"Taiga!" Toshiro called out.

He then rushed over to his and hugged the red head.

"Toshiro! How've you been buddy?!" Kagami asked ruffling his haird. "I've been good. Hey Taiga can you teach me some of those moves you did in the game? Ryuto won't teach me any." Toshiro said. "That would be fun." Kagami said. "Mom, Taiga and I are headed to the park." Toshiro said as he dragged Kagami outside.

His mother then looked towards Kuroko and had to blink twice to make sure someone was standing there.

"Well then, I didn't see you there. Who might you be?" Ryuto's mother asked. "My name is Kuroko Tetsuya. I'm a good friend of Ryuto-kun's. It's pleasure to meet you Rishihara-san." Kuroko said bowing. "No need for the formalities. Just all me Rikai." Ryuto's mother said. "The same goes for me, just call me Ryunosuke." Ryuto's father said. "I see, Ryuto-kun said the same to me when we first met." Kuroko said smiling. "Ryuto was never too happy when people called him by his last name." Ryuto's mother said. "So Tetsuya, you were that player with the passes right?" Ryuto's father asked. "It's something I've been doing since middle school." Kuroko said nodding. "That's quite the ability you have." Ryuto's father said.

Kuroko nodded and saw Yuki hiding behind her mother. As soon as she made eye contact with Kuroko she hid entirely.

"And who might you be?" Kuroko asked kneeling to Yuki's level. "Say hi to Ryuto's friend Yuki." Ryuto's mother urged. "Hi." Yuki said softly still behind her mother. "I promise I'll be your friend too." Kuroko said smiling.

Yuki then moved slightly that only half her face could be seen.

"I'm Yuki. It's nice to meet you." Yuki said. "I'm Kuroko Tetsuya and just like your mother said I'm friends with your brother, I'll be your friend too." Kuroko said smiling.

"Hey Ryu! Are you coming?" Toshiro called out. "In a minute, Shiro!" Ryuto called back. "Wanna come Kuroko?" Ryuto asked the blue haired boy. "Sure." Kuroko said standing up.

Kuroko then turned to Ryuto's parents and bowed.

"It was a pleasure meeting you." Kuroko said. "Likewise Tetsuya." Ryuto's mother said. "You're welcome here any time." Ryuto's father said. "Dad this isn't your house." Ryuto said. "I know, but as long as we're here he can come by." Ryuto's father said.

Kuroko laughed slightly before following Ryuto to the park where Kagami and Toshiro had begun playing. The four played for a long time. Toshiro would ask Kagami to teach him some move, but Kagami would not show him anything.

Close to the court, Aomine and Satsuki were returning home from school. Aomine let out a yawn and as he wiped his eyes, he saw Kuroko, Kagami, Ryuto, and another boy playing on the court in the park.

"Why are Kagami and Tetsu here?" Aomine said with a grunt. "Tetsu's here?!" Satsuki asked with her face turning red. "Yeah he's over at the court." Aomine said lazily pointing to the court.

Ryuto turned to see Aomine and Satsuki walking down the street. He called out their names and waved to get their attention.

"Hey! Aomine, Satsuki over here!" Ryuto called out. "Wait is that Aomine? That tired looking dude?" Toshiro asked. "Yeah that's him." Kagami said. "He doesn't look as strong as you've said he is." Toshiro said. "Hey I heard that!" Aomine yelled out.

Aomine then stormed over to the court and placed his bag angrily in the floor.

"Which one of you bastards said that?" Aomine said angrily. "I did." Toshiro said. "Who's the shrimp?" Aomine asked pointing at Toshiro. "The name's Toshiro. I'm Ryuto's brother." Toshiro said. "So he's your brother." Aomine said turing to Ryuto. "Yeah." Ryuto said. "You two look nothing alike." Aomine said. "I know." Ryuto said.

"Just so you know, Shrimp, I'm stronger than both Kagami and Ryu." Aomine said. "Well I saw a video of the game you two had and Ryu seemed to be the winner." Toshiro said. "I'll play a one-on-one against them just to prove it." Aomine said taking off his jacket and tie. "Well looks like we don't have a choice." Ryuto said rolling up his sleeves. "Looks like it." Kagami said.

The three boys then began to play a game and Toshiro watch in awe at how each of them played. Meanwhile Satsuki was taking to Kuroko, or attempting to.

"So Tetsu, why are you around here?" Satsuki asked. "Ryuto-kun invited to meet his family. They were all very nice. His sister is adorable, but she's very shy." Kuroko said. "You got her to talk?" Satsuki asked surprised. "Yeah, but not a lot." Kuroko said. "I've tried to talk to her, but she's just too shy." Satsuki said.

Kuroko nodded and turned back to the boys playing. The game had stopped as Toshiro was marveling at the skills Aomine displayed.

"That was so cool! I want to do stuff like that!" Toshiro exclaimed. "He's easily impressed." Ryuto whispered to Aomine. "Perhaps another time Shrimp." Aomine said. "Can you stop calling me 'Shrimp'?" Toshiro asked. "I'll think about it." Aomine said.

"Satsuki, I'm going home." Aomine said grabbing his discarded clothes and his bag. "Okay! Bye Dai-chan!" Satsuki said. "Dai-chan?" Kagami said with a snicker. "Say anything and you're dead." Aomine threatened.

Kagami raised his hands up defensively and with a small look of fear. Ryuto and Kuroko laughed slightly at the exchange between two, while Satsuki simply smiled. Toshiro waved goodbye to Aomine, while Aomine just raised his hand and said bye without facing him.

"I should probably be heading home as well." Kuroko said grabbing his school bag. "Same goes for me." Kagami said. "I'll go with you guys until the large intersection." Ryuto said.

The three friends then exited the court and began to walk.

"Bye, Taiga! Bye, Tetsuya!" Toshiro called out. "See ya later Toshiro!" Kagami called out. "Goodbye, Toshiro." Kuroko said waving. "You have a nice family." Kuroko said turning to Ryuto. "Despite their quirks, I still love them," Ryuto said, "by the way Kuroko, do you have siblings?" "No I don't. I live with my parents and my grandmother." Kuroko said. "Oh I didn't know." Ryuto said.

The boys continued walking towards the intersection, where they went their separate ways. Ryuto turned back to his cousins house, while Kuroko and Kagami kept walking. He walked into the house and prepared for the next day.

The following day at school was the same as the day before, except people rarely would talk about the Winter Cup, which Ryuto was glad about. He met up with Riko before homeroom and told her about the meeting between Kuroko and Kagami with his parents.

"Sounds pretty normal to me." Riko said with a shrug. "It surprised me honestly and Kuroko managed to get my sister to talk to him, which is not something that's easy." Ryuto said. "So when's my turn to meet them?" Riko asked. "Soon." Ryuto said.

He was about to continue talking when the school bell rang.

"Well got to get to homeroom." Ryuto said.

He gave her a kiss on the cheek and walked towards his class. His school day was the same as it had always been sitting through classes until lunch, then after lunch waiting to get to English class. Then during English class he would have a 'competition' with Madoka over every petty thing. Before the bell rang, Mr. Ishida said that everyone should begin doing research for the essay they were going to write about the novel. Basketball practice had yet to start up again so Ryuto had a lot more free time after school. Once the bell rang, Ryuto walked towards the library to begin looking for research material. After finding some books about the Cold War and totalitarian regimes, he sat on a computer terminal to find some extra information. Once he sent the links to his email, he sat down on a table and began to skim through the books. After some time of relative silence, he heard a chair being pulled out close to him. He looked up to find a female student sitting down. He acknowledged the student with a slight nod and returned to his book.

"Um, excuse me are you Rishihara Ryuto?" the student asked.

Ryuto looked up to find her staring at him. He then looked towards what she was holding and saw it was an English grammar book. Ryuto close his own book and nodded a yes.

"I was wondering if you could help me with English. I've heard from others how you're top of the class in advanced English and I thought you could help me." the student said. "Yeah sure, I don't see a problem with that." Ryuto said with a smile. "Thank you." the student said happily.

She then opened the book and began to point out the things she was not able to understand. Time seemed to move faster when he was helping her as it was already 5 pm. He looked back towards the student, who was putting away the book.

"Thank you for helping me." the student said. "It's no problem, it was kinda fun helping you out," Ryuto said smiling, "if you ever need help again feel free to ask." "I will." the student said.

She then stood up and bowed slightly before exiting the library. Ryuto let out a yawn and stretched his arms. _Who knew it would be fun to tutor someone_ Ryuto thought shrugging. He then stood up from the chair and put the books he was using for research in his bag and walked out of the library. As he walked towards the schools gate, he felt his phone buzzing. He took it out and saw that Kasamatsu was calling.

"Hey Kasmatsu what's up? It's odd, you rarely call me." Ryuto said. "Sorry to bother, but I wanted to ask you something." Kasamatsu said. "Yeah sure, what's up?" Ryuto asked. "I got exams for university coming up and I was wondering if you could help me improve my English. Mostly just grammar stuff." Kasmatsu said. "Yeah sure. I didn't know university exams had English on them." Ryuto said. "It's really just basic grammar stuff." Kasamatsu said. "Okay then. Where do you want to meet up?" Ryuto asked. "Tomorrow at Maji Burger at around 5 pm if that works for you." Kasamatsu said. "Yeah sure, that'll work." Ryuto said. "Thanks a lot." Kasamatsu said. "No problem, what are friends for?" Ryuto said.

He then hung up the phone and started walking to his house. _Maybe I should start tutoring_ Ryuto thought.

The next day, Ryuto walked into the school's office and asked if he could start a tutoring service for English. He was told to come back in the after school and then they would have an answer for him. Ryuto nodded and headed to homeroom. Ryuto had his usual school day math with Furihata, then his other classes until lunch where he would gather with his friends, finally to end the day with English; which would turn into a grudge match against Madoka, which was one sided. The final bell rang and Ryuto put his books into his bag, he then pulled out a folder and stood up walking over to Mr. Ishida's desk. As he arrived, Madoka had also arrived at the teacher's desk. Ryuto rolled his eyes at Madoka's scowl and opened the folder. Mr. Ishida then looked up to see his two students.

" _Anything I can help you two with?_ " Mr. Ishida asked. " _Just wanted to give you the homework you assigned to me._ " Ryuto said holding out a paper. _"Ah yes. Thank you for being responsible Mr. Rishihara._ " Mr Ishida said.

Ryuto bowed slightly and started to walk out of the room. Then Mr. Ishida called out his name.

" _Wait a moment, Ryuto. I want to talk to you for a moment. Let me just finish talking with Madoka._ " Mr. Ishida said.

Ryuto nodded and leaned against a desk while he waited for Mr. Ishida to finish. His conversation ended rather quickly as Madoka let out a loud 'thank you' and turned to exit. Ryuto watched as she hastily exited the room. Ryuto rose an eyebrow at how fast she had exited, wonder what had happened. He then looked towards Mr. Ishida who was motioning for Ryuto to come to him.

" _Is there something wrong, Mr. Ishida?_ " Ryuto asked. " _If you're referring to Madoka, it's nothing you need to worry about. This is more about you and what I heard and saw._ " Mr. Ishida said with a small smile forming on his face. " _And what might that be?_ " Ryuto asked with a concerned tone. " _You're not in trouble if that's what you're wondering._ " Mr. Ishida said.

Ryuto let out a sigh of relief, happy knowing he was not in any kind of trouble.

" _I saw you in the library yesterday, tutoring another student._ " Mr. Ishida said. " _It wasn't really tutoring. I was just…_ " Ryuto trailed off he was not sure what to call what he did. He, himself, had considered it tutoring. " _Well whatever the case, I thought you explained what that student did not understand very well. I also saw something change, for lack of a better word, inside of you._ " Mr. Ishida said. " _I'm not sure I understand._ " Ryuto said. " _The office informed me about your proposal of staring a tutoring service for English, that's what I mean about your change._ " Mr. Ishida said. " _Oh that, they haven't approved of it yet. I have to go to the office to see if they will approve it._ " Ryuto said. " _I know, the office informed me about it and asked for my input._ " Mr. Ishida said with a smile forming.

Ryuto rose his eyebrow. He wondered why the office would tell Mr. Ishida, he had an idea but still was not sure. Then it dawned on his and his eyes widened. He looked towards Mr. Ishida, who nodded.

" _So I can do it?_ " Ryuto asked. " _Just pass by the office for official confirmation._ " Mr. Ishida said.

Ryuto smiled, he was excited. It was something that he only recently wanted to do, but he felt happy that he could do it.

" _Thank you, Mr. Ishida._ " Ryuto said bowing.

He then quickly stood up and exited the room. He rushed over to the office, but before entering he took a deep breath and calmed himself down. He took another deep breath and entered the office. He waited to be attended, as another teacher was talking to the secretary. The teacher then exited the office and the secretary called him over. He was told that he would be allowed to do what he had proposed. Ryuto thanked the secretary, but before he left he asked if he could put up a flyer on the board in the library. The secretary seemed to think it over, she then nodded and allowed his to do so. Ryuto once again said thank you and exited the office. He looked at the time and saw that he still had some time before he had to meet up with Kasamatsu. So he decided to go over to the library to continue his research for the essay as well as creating a flyer for his tutoring service. After spending some time at the library, he glanced towards the clock it read 4:45. Ryuto quickly stood up and put his books away and hastily exited the library. He then began to jog towards Maji Burger; it was not far from his school, but he still did not want to be late. When he arrived he saw Kasamatsu sitting and look through a workbook, he then set it down a wrote something. Ryuto let out his breath and walked into the restaurant. He walked over to Kasamatsu and then called out his name.

"Hey Kasamatsu." Ryuto said.

Kasamatsu looked up and waved towards his friend. Ryuto walked over and set down his bag on the floor.

"Am I late?" Ryuto asked. "Not really." Kasamatsu said. "That's good." Ryuto said letting out a sigh.

He then glanced towards the workbook and saw that he was working on English grammar. He saw a couple mistake sin the sentence he wrote and prepared to tell him until Kasamatsu began to talk.

"If you're hungry, I don't mind waiting for you to get food." Kasamatsu said. "Thanks, but I'm good." Ryuto said.

As soon as he finished his stomach began to growl. Ryuto let out a nervous laugh and clutched his stomach.

"I guess I'll get something." Ryuto said grabbing his wallet out of his bag.

Before he walked over to make the line he turned to Kasamatsu to correct the mistake in the workbook.

"By the way, that's not how you use a semi-colon. It's not like a comma, it's more like a period." Ryuto said.

Kasamatsu then looked towards the workbook and stared at it trying to figure out his mistake. Ryuto let out a slight laugh and walked over to the line. After buying food, Ryuto returned to see that Kasamatsu was working on something again. He sat down began to eat what he had ordered. Kasamatsu then put down his pen and let out a sigh.

"Something wrong?" Ryuto asked. "Grammar is hard." Kasamatsu answered. "Let me see." Ryuto said. "Here." Kasamatsu said handing Ryuto the book.

Ryuto looked over what he was working on, it was a semi-colon practice. Ryuto then grabbed a pen from his bag and wrote down a sentence. He the handed back the workbook to Kasamatsu. Kasamatsu studied the sentence, but he still could not understand.

"The semi-colon is usually used to combine two independent clauses. For example: The house is painted red; the paint has dried up since then. You get what I'm going for?" Ryuto asked. "I think so." Kasamatsu said scratching his head. "Ok let's try it like this." Ryuto said.

Ryuto began to talk a mile a minute, causing Kasamatsu to have to stop him every once in awhile to ask to reexplain, but slower. The two spent a lot of time at the restaurant, noting it as they were the only ones left at 8pm. Kasamatsu seemed to be thinking the same thing as Ryuto and he closed the workbook and put it in his school bag. The two boys then stood up and exited the place.

"Thanks for helping me out. I really learned a lot." Kasamatsu said. "No problem, what are friends for?" Ryuto said.

Kasamatsu then held out his hand and Ryuto took it. The two boys shook hands before parting ways. Ryuto stopped walking and turned back to Kasamatsu.

"If you need help again just ask." Ryuto said. "Right." Kasamatsu said simply.

Ryuto smiled and began to walk back to his home. The next day, Ryuto put up the flyer he was working on in front of the library. As he walked away from it, he began to wonder if anyone would ask him, but he waved the thoughts out of his head. The school day proceeded as it always did nothing changed with his classes. During lunch; however, a few students asked him if they could be tutored by him. Ryuto said yes and wrote their names down on a notebook along with times. He had decided the night before to do one hour sessions, just in case a lot of people were going to ask him; so he was pleased he decided that beforehand. The school day went by as usual and at the end English class, Mr. Ishida had wished him good luck with his tutoring lessons. Ryuto arrived at the library and prepared for his first student.

During his time tutoring, Mr. Ishida looked through the library window to see Ryuto's tutoring sessions. He smiled at the sight of his student happily teaching others. He turned to continue to walk towards his classroom when he saw a girl looking at Ryuto's flyer. He recognized the girl as the boys basketball coach as well as Ryuto's girlfriend.

"He's in the library right now." Mr. Ishida said. "Huh," Riko said turing to the man, "yeah he told me about this. He seemed genuinely excited to do it." "I'm sure he'll be a good teacher." Mr. Ishida said. "He is a natural leader." Riko said smiling. "I'm he'll help you as well." Mr. Ishida said as he continued walking.

When the weekend rolled around, Ryuto had decided to introduce Riko to his parents. Riko seemed happy to do it, but Ryuto was still hesitant. When he had arrived to his cousins house, his mother bombarded Riko with greetings; to which Riko would reply with a nervous hello. Following that exchange, Ryuto's father introduced himself with a simple hello and a bow. His mother then led her to the family room where she began to ask questions in quick succession.

"Mom slow down, please." Ryuto said pinching the bridge of his nose. "Sorry, I'm just excited. The last girl you liked wasn't as cute as her." his mother said.

Riko began to laugh as she turned to face Ryuto. Ryuto, meanwhile, had his face covered in red. He turned away from the two and let out a loud breath. He then turned back to them and Riko was still laughing.

"Can I ask who this other girl was?" she asked in between laughter. "She was close friends with one of Ryuto's friends. What was her name? I can't remember at the moment, but she was nice." his mother explained. "Mom, can we please not talk about this?" Ryuto pleaded. "Your mother just dug your grave, I want to know more about the you from America." Riko said. "I'm going to die today." Ryuto said dragging his hands across his face.

His mother and Riko talked for what seemed to be hours. Ryuto walked over to the Kitchen where his dad was preparing to cook dinner. He began to wonder where his aunt, uncle, and Satsuki were; but was happy that they were not present at the same time. He sighed as he opened to panty to grab a snack, but his dad stopped him.

"I'm about to start cooking, can you wait." His father said, but it was not a question. "Sure." Ryuto said closing the pantry. "Your mother has been talking with Riko for a while." his father said. "Yeah telling embarrassing stories no doubt." Ryuto said crossing his arms. "She is nice. I'm happy for you." his father said. "Thanks, Dad." Ryuto said.

Ryuto walked out of the kitchen and returned to the family room. Riko turned to him and smiled, she then stood up and thanked his mother for her hospitality. Ryuto walked over to the coat hanger and grabbed hers and handed it to her.

"It was a pleasure meeting both of you." Riko said with a slight bow. "The pleasure is all ours." his father said. "Feel free to stop by any time while we're here." his mother said. "I'll try, Rikai-san." Riko said. "I'm going to accompany her to the train station." Ryuto said grabbing his jacket. "Ok. Be careful you two." his mother said. "Will do Mom." Ryuto said closing the door.

Ryuto let out a sigh as he began to walk alongside Riko.

"Oh the stories I've heard." Riko said breaking the silence. "No doubt about that." Ryuto said. "It seemed you liked living in America." Riko said. "Well I was born there and I have a lot of friends." Ryuto said shrugging. "Your mom showed me a picture of you as a baby and you were adorable." Riko said smiling. "Wow, she even showed you those. My Mom is something else." Ryuto said. "Oh come on it wasn't that bad." Riko said lightly punching his arm. "I guess, but you basically now know how my Mom is." Ryuto said. "Yeah, she's nice though." Riko said.

The two continued to walk changing topics to talk about every so often. When they reached the train station, Ryuto continued to walk with her until the very end.

"See you on Monday?" she asked. "Yeah, see you then." Ryuto said.

He then got close to her and kissed her, which she returned happily. The two separated and Ryuto watched as she entered the train station. Riko the turned back to with and he waved to her.

"When do your parents leave?" she asked. "Some time next week, why?" Ryuto asked. "No reason. Bye, Ryuto." she answered waving to him.

Ryuto shrugged his shoulder at her comment and returned the wave. He then turned and headed back to his cousins house. He the stopped and look back towards the train station.

"Maybe I should ask her." Ryuto said aloud.

He turned back towards his cousins house and walked there with a smile.

 **A/N: And here ends this chapter! I want to apologize for not uploading sooner, the job I was working at had me really tired when I got home and family stuff caused me to write less. Also the fact that this was an entirely original story, if you find some things odd an easy explanation is that I wanted this stuff to happen; if you need something better just write it in the reviews or PM me. Another thing, I have no idea how Japanese high school works such as period scheduling, days in the week school is attended, etc. I did some research about it, but I didn't really get much info, so I based school life on how mine is(feel free to clarify how Japanese high school works). School started up again, so I'll have even less time to write, but I'll try to upload as soon as I can. Only two more chapters until this story comes to a close and a new one begins. The next chapter is another short one and the last one I'll try to make it longer, no promises though. Also, after this story I'm going to change things up I have so many stories planned in my head that I want to put out so expect at least me working on two stories at a time along with some one-shots here and there. Follow me on Twitter if you want updates on life and stories along with other stuff I say. Remember to follow, favorite, and/or review if you haven't already and stay tuned for the next part.**


	25. Chapter 25

**AN: Here is Chapter 25. This is my first time writing a romance based chapter, so I'm sorry if it sucks; I don't consider myself a romance writer in the first place. This chapter is a bit short, but I hope you enjoy it. Remember I do NOT own KnB only my character.**

Chapter 25

Movies and Romance

The weekend went by faster than Ryuto had expected, he woke up Monday morning feeling more tired than usual. He lazily rolled out of his bed and walked to the bathroom. He turned on the lights and squinted at how bright everything was all of a sudden. He groaned as he closed the door and stood in front of the mirror. He ran a hand through his hair and quickly noticed it was not as long as he remembered. He then groaned again remembering he had gotten a hair cut the day before. It was now significantly shorter with it being pushed back with some strands falling on his face; it was still as messy as it usually was. He turned on the water for a shower, after taking off his pajamas he entered the shower. He took a long shower and at times let water just run along his body. As he turned off the water, he heard a soft knock on the door.

"Ryu-chan, are you in there?" a voice behind the door.

Ryuto recognized it quickly as Satsuki.

"Yeah. I'll be out a minute." Ryuto said.

He grabbed a towel and began to dry himself off. He then tied the towel across his waist and exited the bathroom and headed to his room. He dressed himself in his school clothes and headed towards the kitchen. No one was there when he arrived, so he went to the refrigerator and grabbed some things to make himself breakfast. He began fry an egg while some rice was heated up. He decided to make a second for Satsuki. As soon as he finished making breakfast, Satsuki entered the kitchen.

"Good morning." She said taking a whiff at the air. "Smells good."

Ryuto nodded and placed the two bowls on the table and placed chopsticks next to them.

"That one's for you." Ryuto said pointing at one of the bowls. "Thanks." Satsuki replied sitting down.

The two ate in relative silence. Ryuto looked through his phone at some of the messages he had received over the night. He found one sent by one of his friends from the States. He laughed at the message he sent, it was detailing an event that had happened.

"Something funny?" Satsuki asked. "Just something a friend sent me." Ryuto said. "I didn't know you could cook so well." Satsuki said changing the subject abruptly. "It's the few things I can cook." Ryuto said.

He felt his phone buzz and looked at the message he received. He sighed and stood up grabbing his bowl.

"I gotta go." Ryuto said placing his bowl in the sink.

Satsuki nodded and continued to eat. Ryuto grabbed his bag, put on his shoes, and exited the house. When Ryuto arrived at school, he took out his phone to see where he had to go. Kuroko had sent him a text that simply read: Get to school soon please. Ryuto sighed as he began to walk towards his homeroom. As he began to walk, he felt someone tap his shoulder. He looked back to see Kuroko standing there.

"Good morning, Ryuto-kun." Kuroko said. "Why did you want me to get here early, Kuroko?" Ryuto asked as he let out a yawn. "Could you help me with some homework?" Kuroko asked bluntly. "Seriously?" Ryuto asked raising an eyebrow. "I couldn't quite understand how to do one math problem." Kuroko explained. "Ok fine. Let's get this over with." Ryuto said.

After helping Kuroko, the two friends walked to their homeroom. The two sat down and began to talk. Kuroko talked about what he did on the weekend, which was basically nothing. _Man this kid is boring_ Ryuto thought.

"Did you do anything?" Kuroko asked breaking Ryuto from his thoughts. "Not much. Did stuff with my family and got a hair cut." Ryuto said running a hand through his hair.

Kuroko's eyes then moved to Ryuto's head and he noticed Ryuto's head was significantly.

"I'm surprised I didn't notice." Kuroko said. "Well, you got used to me with long hair." Ryuto replied. "In my opinion, your hair is better shorter." Kuroko said. "Thanks. Now to see if Riko likes it." Ryuto said. "I'm sure she will." Kuroko said with a smile. "Thanks for the vote of confidence." Ryuto said.

The bell rang for the start of school, and the two boys got ready for homeroom. A few moments later, their classmates began to enter the classroom and settled into their seats. Then the homeroom teacher walked in and began to call out their names.

"Rishihara." the teacher called out. "Here." Ryuto said raising his hand.

The teacher looked up and saw where Ryuto was sitting and was surprised at Ryuto's different appearance.

"Well it seems you no longer have a mop on your head." the teacher said scribbling something.

His classmates began to snicker and Ryuto tried to hide himself to not feel as embarrassed. His classes passed by as they always did and during lunch, he would hang out with his friends. Once the bell rang for lunch to end, he would head to his class. At the end of school bell, Ryuto would go to the library to prepare for his tutoring sessions; he had three that day, so he would not be leaving until after 5 pm. Once he finished his last session, he would meet up with Kasamatsu to tutor him as well. The two were close friends, they talked a lot more since the end of the Winter Cup. Ryuto's friendship with was similar to that of when he first started in middle school with his own basketball captain. He enjoyed talking with him. Those were how his weekdays would go, school, then tutoring, then tutoring Kasamatsu, to finally arrive at his house. He made a decision early on that he would take Friday's off so he could look forward to enjoying the weekend. Friday after school, Ryuto walked out of his English class and met up with Riko in front of the library. When she saw him, she hugged him tightly.

"Sorry for not being around, I've been busy." Ryuto said. "It's fine. I see how much you enjoy tutoring and that makes me happy." Riko said smiling. "Yeah, it's fun actually." Ryuto said with a small laugh. "By the way never got a chance to tell you, but I like you're short hair." Riko said ruffling his hair. "Thanks, glad you like it." Ryuto said with a smile

"Is there something you wanted to ask me?" Riko said changing the subject.

Ryuto was taken back by the sudden change. He had worked himself up to ask her to go on a date, but he was feeling nervous.

"Yeah. I was wondering if you were free during the weekend?" Ryuto said as he placed his hand behind his neck and looked down. "I don't have any plans. Why?" Riko said taking a step towards Ryuto. "Well, since we started our relationship we haven't had an actual date yet. So I was wondering if you wanted to see a movie and maybe get something to eat afterwards." Ryuto said.

Ryuto looked up to see Riko smiling. He let out a sigh of relief.

"I'd love to. What movie did you have in mind?" she asked. "It's an American movie franchise. If you don't want to go see something like that it's fine." Ryuto said nervously. "You mean that superhero movie? I don't mind, I kinda like those movies there's something about them." Riko said. "Ok cool. I'll text you the details a soon as I get home." Ryuto said with a smile. "Can't wait." Riko said smiling.

She then kissed him on the cheek and walked away, humming as she did. _Oh man that was hard Ryuto_ thought as he let out his breath.

"Smooth." a voice said behind him.

Ryuto turned to see Kagami exiting the library.

"Taiga! How long were you standing there?!" Ryuto said surprised. "Long enough. Good luck on your date." Kagami said patting his friend on the shoulder.

When Ryuto got home, he turned on the computer and searched up the movie. He found that there was a showing at 6:30 pm. He then sent the time and place to Riko. She responded quickly, saying that she would go. Ryuto smiled, it was their first official date since they started their relationship and he was happy. Ryuto turned off the computer and headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

Ryuto woke up the next morning hearing some commotion going on in the house. He looked towards his brothers bed, he was not in it and the door was slightly ajar. Ryuto sighed and rolled lazily out of bed. He looked out his window and saw some frost covering the window. He had forgotten it was still winter and it was only halfway through January. So much had happened in a span of eight months that he felt like school was almost over. Ryuto sighed again and walked out of his room. He looked towards the family room and his sister was there watching cartoon, a dubbed American one, he smiled and walked over to his sister

"Boo!" Ryuto said from behind her.

She let out a startled yelp and jumped up. She looked back to see her smiling brother.

"Good morning." Ryuto said. "Don't scare me Ryu." she said quietly and tugging on her hair. "Come on, we haven't seen each other in such a long time, I think I get at least one chance to scare you." Ryuto said.

"Ryuto, stop scaring your sister and come help your father." Ryuto heard his mother call out.

"Coming." Ryuto said. "See you later." he said ruffling her hair.

Yuki let out a small laugh as she touched her head. Ryuto walked into the kitchen and saw his father putting away plates and other kitchen supplies. Ryuto raised an eyebrow as he could not see his uncle or aunt.

"How come Auntie and Uncle always disappear whenever you're in the kitchen?" Ryuto asked. "They had to leave. Something about the car." his father said. "Is Satsuki still sleeping?" Ryuto asked. "I think so. I haven't seen her yet." his father answered. "Ok then. What did you need help with?" Ryuto asked. "Just putting these things away." his father said handing him a plate.

Ryuto nodded and began to help his father. After finishing, Ryuto had breakfast and headed back to his room.

"Ryuto seems happier today." Rikai said. "Yeah. I wonder what happened." Ryunosuke said.

Inside his room, he checked his phone. Riko had confirmed the time and said she was happy to be going. Ryuto smiled he set his phone down and changed into exercise clothes, Takao had told him he was visiting his grandparents so they decided to meet up and play some basketball. The two boys met on the court and high fived each other.

"How've you been? Since Winter Cup ended we haven't seen each other." Takao said. "All good. I've been focusing a lot on school lately. Our practices haven't started up yet, so I've been taking it easy." Ryuto said. "Same for me. I'm pretty sure we're gonna start up soon though." Takao said. "Likewise. I'm honestly scared at what Riko is going to come up with for training." Ryuto said as he started dribbling the ball.

Ryuto then set up for a shot, but what Takao said caused him to loose focus.

"Isn't the coach also your girlfriend?"

As Ryuto released the ball, it bounced off the rim and rolled to the fence.

"Yeah she is." Ryuto said. "You have to give me details bro. I knew something was up." Takao said as he walked over to the ball

Ryuto placed his hand behind his head and let out a nervous laugh.

"Not much to tell. I met her on the first day of school, I thought she was cute but never said anything. It wan't until later that feeling started to grow, I guess the same was with her." Ryuto said. "Dude you two kissed in front of a whole stadium. That has to mean you two really liked each other." Takao said passing the ball to him.

Ryuto shrugged and set up for a shot. He jumped and released, the ball bounced off the backboard and into the hoop.

"I thought it was a good idea at the time." Ryuto said. "Whatever man." Takao said grabbing the ball. "Why do you care anyways?" Ryuto said. "Sorry, that came out differently from what I was expecting."

"No, it's fine," Takao said with a laugh, "to answer your question, you're my friend we look out for each other. Plus we met on this court, seems like the best place to talk."

Takao then released his own shot and made it without touching the rim.

"You've been practicing." Ryuto said grabbing the ball. "I pick up a ball every once in a while. Unlike Shin-chan, that guy does not take a break." Takao said. "I don't think I'll ever understand Tall, Dark, and Green." Ryuto said shooting the ball from under the basket.

Takao began to laugh loudly after Ryuto finished his sentence. Ryuto let out a small laugh and walked over to his friend.

"Oh man, I remember when you said that to him for the first time. He was so ticked off after that." Takao said as he clutched his stomach while laughing. "It wasn't that funny." Ryuto said quietly. "I needed that. Please call him that again, his face looks hilarious." Takao said. "Jeez, dude you got to chill out." Ryuto said. Ok, I'm done." Takao said taking a breath.

The two then began a one-on-one. They played until one person got to twenty points and the winner was Ryuto, the match had ended close with the score being 20-18. The two boys sat on a bench as they each took deep breaths. Ryuto looked at his phone and read the time, he still had a few hours before his date, but nonetheless decided to head back home.

"Gotta run, Tao. There's something I need to do soon." Ryuto said putting his phone in his pocket. "Sure." Takao said nodding.

Ryuto stood up and began to walk towards the opening in the fence. Takao stopped him when he asked a question.

"Would this thing you have to do be about your girlfriend?" he asked smiling.

Ryuto did not turn to him as his face was bright red. He could hear Takao's laughter behind him and it was getting closer. Ryuto then felt Takao's hand placed on his shoulder.

"Good luck with that." Takao said. "What's that supposed to mean?" Ryuto asked. "Bye, Ryu-chan." Takao said waving.

Ryuto sighed and walked back towards the house. When he entered, his brother was watching television. Ryuto raised and eyebrow, he could not see his parents ore Yuki anywhere.

"Oi Toshiro." Ryuto called out. "Yeah?" Toshiro responded not looking away from the television. "Where are Mom, Dad, and Yuki?" Ryuto asked. "They went out, something about wanting to show Yuki something. I didn't really catch it." Toshiro explained. "Ok then. Have you seen Satsuki?" Ryuto asked. "I think she went out too. Not sure though." Toshiro answered. "Have you even been paying attention on what's going on around you?" Ryuto asked walking to his room.

Ryuto entered his room before he could hear Toshiro's response and closed the door. He set his phone on his desk and placed it to charge. He then went to the bathroom to take a shower, he felt like it would take an eternity for the time to arrive. He turned on the water and after taking off his sweaty clothes, he entered the shower. He let the water soak him for a few minutes and then proceeded to clean himself. He then exited the shower and dried off with the towel on the rack. He then wrapped the towel around his waist and exited the bathroom. As he entered his room, he saw Satsuki exiting hers. He quickly enter his and opened the door slightly so he could peer out his head.

"Hey, Satsuki." Ryuto called out. "Huh?" she said looking towards her cousin. "I need your help." Ryuto said. "With what?" Satsuki asked. "Give me one second." Ryuto said closing the door.

He quickly walked over to his drawer and pulled out a pair of underwear. He quickly put them on along with some sweat pants he had on his chair. He then opened the door again and Satsuki was still standing there.

"What did you need help with?" Satsuki asked. "Well, uh, the thing is, I'm going on a date with Riko tonight and I need your help in picking out clothes." Ryuto answered nervously. "Why didn't you say that, instead of being so cryptic." Satsuki said with a smile.

Ryuto then opened the door fully and let her inside. She looked over the room and seemed not pleased with what she saw.

"You could pick up this room a bit." Satsuki said. "That's besides the point." Ryuto said. "Right, date clothes." Satsuki said walking over to his closet.

She opened the closet and inspected his clothes.

"Well it's still relatively cold out, so jeans should be fine." She said handing him a pair of jeans. "You should also have at least two layers." She then took out a white shirt and a grey sweater and handed them to him. "With that you should be good. So what are you guys going to do?" she asked smiling.

"We're just going to see a movie." Ryuto said. "Have fun." she said as she exited his room.

"That took a lot less time then what I was expecting." Ryuto said a loud.

He got changed quickly then entered the bathroom again. He looked in the mirror and pushed his hair back, but it was still as messy as it always was, he then brushed his teeth. After he finished, he went back to his room and checked his phone. Riko had texted him she was getting ready and Rytuo responded that he was leaving his house soon. He put his phone and wallet into his pocket and walked to the front door. He put on his shoes and grabbed his jacket from the coat hanger.

"Shiro, if Mom and Dad get back soon tell them I went out." Ryuto called out. "Okay." Toshiro responded lazily.

Ryuto then exited the house and began to walk towards the bus stop. He then boarded the bus that headed near to where Riko lived. When he arrived at the stop, he continued his walk towards Riko's house. When he finally arrived, he took a deep breath and then knocked on the door. He waited a few seconds and the door opened. The one that had opened the door was Kagetora: Riko's father.

"Good evening, Kagetora." Ryuto said with a slight bow. "No need for the formalities, but it's nice to know kids nowadays still have manners." Kagetora said with a smile and placing his hand on Ryuto's shoulder. "Right." Ryuto said. "Why don't you come in, Riko should be ready and minute now." Kagetora said. "Thank you." Ryuto said.

Kagetora then opened the door completely and motioned for Ryuto to enter. Ryuto entered and Kagetora told him to sit down while he waited. Ryuto nodded and did as he was told. Kagetora then walked away and in his place, Riko's mother entered the room. She looked almost exactly like Riko, except her hair was a shade darker and longer.

"Oh, you must be Ryuto, the boy Riko talks so much about." she said. "Yeah that's me. The grey hair is a give away." Ryuto said with a slight laugh. "Riko has told be about about you, she said you're from America." she said. "I was born there. I believe I'm the third generation in my family to be born there. My great-grandparents moved there in the early 40's." Ryuto explained. "That's interesting." she said.

"If you don't mind me asking, what do your parents do?" she asked. "Well my Mom works as a university professor, she teaches Japanese. As for my father he works for a real estate company I think, he's never really explained it to me." Ryuto answered. "Riko also told me you're here without them." she said. "Well, yeah. But I live with my cousin and she's practically like a sister to me so it's almost like I never left." Ryuto explained. "And where is it that your from exactly?" she asked. "I'm from Missouri, Cen-" Ryuto said, but he was cut off.

"I thought you were from Los Angeles?" a voice asked.

Ryuto looked up to see Riko entering the room. She wore jeans and a simple white sweater. Ryuto had trouble formulating a response he was thinking only about Riko. He then shook his head slightly and spoke.

"Well no, I've visited the city a couple of time, but Taiga spent most of his summers there." Ryuto said standing up.

"You look nice." Ryuto said nervously. "So do you." Riko said with a smile.

Riko then turned to her parents and spoke to them.

"We're going to go now, be back in a couple of hours." Riko said. "Have fun." Riko's mother said. "Not too much fun." Kagetora said. "Dad." Riko said with her face turing red.

Ryuto let out a slight laugh and smiled at her. He walked towards the door and opened it for Riko. The two then exited the house and began to walk towards the movie theater.

"Did my parents say or do anything weird?" Riko asked. "Not really, your mom was only asking me about how my family is and where I come from." Ryuto said. "Okay, that's good." Riko said breathing a sigh of relief.

Ryuto then smiled and took her hand. She slightly squeezed his before leaning closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Our first date. To think we started our relationship a bit before Winter Cup." Riko said. "We had a lot of stuff going on at the time. Now since we're on hiatus, we can do more dates." Ryuto said. "You're so cliched." Riko said. "It's one of my charms." Ryuto said smiling.

The two then arrived at the movies, they bought the tickets and entered the theater.

"You want anything from the concession stand?" Ryuto asked. "Yeah." she answered.

After they bought food, they headed to their hall and sat down waiting for the movie to start.

"Why didn't you get anything?" Riko asked. "I never really buy stuff at the movies unless I'm really hungry." Ryuto said shrugging. "So anyways, what do you like the most about these superhero movies?" Riko asked. "Mainly the action, but sometimes the dialogue is pretty funny too, that just depends on the type of character the movie has." Ryuto answered. "You sound like a film critic." Riko said laughing slightly. "I can't tell if that's a compliment, but I'll take it as one." Ryuto said.

Soon after the movie began. Riko took Ryuto's hand just as it started. He smiled and began to watch the movie. Every so often, Ryuto would glance over to Riko. She seemed to be watching the movie intently, not taking her eye off the screen. She then glanced over to Ryuto and their eyes met. She smiled at him and he returned it. She then leaned closer to him and kissed him on the cheek.

"It's a good movie." she whispered before resting her head in his shoulder.

Ryuto maintained his smile and turned back towards the movie. He could tell it was about to end since it was the final battle between the hero and the villain. The fight was taking place in a crowded street and there were many bystanders. The hero was running and dodging all the villains projectiles. The hero then saw his opening and punched the villain into a fire hydrant. Water began to rain on the hero, he then cut the power line and the shock caused the villain to go unconscious. The movie ended with the hero being praised by many, but in the background many more villains were to come. The credits then began to roll, he and Riko stood up. Riko stretched her arms and let out a yawn.

"Did it bore you?" Ryuto asked. "What? No, I'm just tired, I guess." Riko said scratching her eyes. "I was going to ask if you wanted to eat something, but it seems you want to just head home." Ryuto said smiling. "Before that, why don't we get some ice cream? Theres a good place nearby." Riko said. "You lead the way then." Ryuto said.

Riko then took his hand again and led him to the ice cream shop. When they arrived, there was short line to order. Ryuto opened the door to the shop and let Riko go in first. She smiled and blushed as she tucked some hair behind her ear. The two then waited in line to be called for their turn.

"Did you like the movie?" Ryuto asked. "Yeah it was fun. I'm just glad I saw it with you. If I saw it with anyone else, who would translate for me?" Riko said with a slight laugh. "There are subtitles at the bottom." Ryuto said shrugging. "Reading subtitles sucks, you're always looking up and down. Read and then watch what's happening, it's too much to do." Riko said. "I guess you're right. The subtitles are a bit distracting." Ryuto said as he place his hand behind his head.

The two then began to laugh as they made more observations about the movie. They would point out the good things and the bad, while making fun of any inconsistencies. They were then called to order and the two stopped talking for a moment to order their ice cream. After paying, Riko and Ryuto sat down at a table and began to talk again.

"I think my favorite part was when the hero figured out who the bad guy was. I wasn't expecting it, he seemed like such a good guy throughout the movie." Riko said while taking a spoonful of ice cream. "Really? I thought the evidence was there for why he was the bad guy, the way he talked gave it away." Ryuto said. "I guess, I wasn't paying as much attention as you." Riko said shrugging. "Probably, since I was translating the whole time, no offense." Ryuto said nervously. "Perhaps you're right." Riko said as she continued to eat her ice cream. "I didn't mean anything bad by what I said." Ryuto said nervously. "Hey, it's fine. Perhaps you could teach me English, it seems like having a handle on two languages gets someone far in life." Riko said. "Sure thing. Whenever you want." Ryuto said excitedly.

When the two finished their dessert, they stood up and left the shop. As the night grew darker, the temperature began to lower as well. Ryuto let out a breath, it was cold enough for him to see it. He grabbed Riko's hand and felt that it was cold. He then took off his coat and planed in on her. She looked up at him, with a curious look in her eyes.

"You need it more than me." Ryuto said smiling.

She smiled back at him and used her hands to tighten the coat around her shoulders.

"Did it ever get this cold in your home?" she asked. "From time to time." Ryuto said.

"We should hurry and get to your house." Ryuto said as he saw snow beginning to fall.

Riko nodded and the two picked up the pace. When they arrived at Riko's home, the two stood in front of the door. Riko took of the coat and handed it back to Ryuto. He grabbed it and smiled.

"You should find something warm." Ryuto said. "I will." she replied. "How was that for a first date?" Ryuto asked. "Good. I could do without the cold though." Riko said. "That's true." Ryuto agreed.

She then got close to him and kissed him. He placed his arms around her and returned it. The two then separated and smiled at each other.

"Good night, Riko." Ryuto said.

He then began to walk backwards watching as Riko opened the door and entered her house. Once the door closed, Ryuto spun around and began to walk forward; smiling as he did so. _I love that girl so much_ Ryuto thought. When he arrived at his cousins house, no one was in the living room. He checked the time and it was only 10 pm. _They must've called it early_ Ryuto thought. He then walked to kitchen to grab a snack before heading to his room. As he opened the fridge, he heard footsteps entering the kitchen. He look up to see Satsuki standing in the door way.

"How was your date?" she asked with a smile. "It was fun. She seemed to enjoy the movie." Ryuto answered. "That's good." she said.

Satsuki then turned to leave and exited the kitchen. Ryuto smiled, all he had in his mind at that moment was Riko.

 **AN: And here comes to an end this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. This one was a tough one write, as I said before, I'm not very good at writing romance. Anyways, if you haven't seen/follow me on Twitter(you should do that) I announced I was going to be doing monthly updates for all my stories. So once this story ends, I'll be balancing up to three stories at a time each with a monthly update which I'll try to meet. With school on my ass I don't know how things will work out, so be flexible with me. This story is coming to a close soon, with next chapter being the last one. I can't to share it with you and then it's on to the sequel. If you haven't noticed, I've been dropping hints on what the next story is about as well as what's going to happen. Remember to review, follow, and/or favorite if you haven't already and stay tuned for the next chapter.**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Birthday

Weeks had passed since Ryuto and Riko's date and January was coming to a close. They had gone on a few more since then. Basketball practices had started it up since then, but it was mostly light exercise in order to get back into the swing of things. Everything in school had remained the same and people would barely talk about the Winter Cup any longer, they were all focused on whatever was worth talking about at the time. During school, Ryuto would continue to focus on raising his grades. While also balancing the tutoring service he was providing; he had a lot to do. During school, Ryuto spent most his free time with Riko, having lunch with her and being with her if their study periods aligned. He defiantly loved her. He would also be with his friends whenever he was not with Riko, they would talk about random stuff and not dwelling on a topic for too long. Ryuto enjoyed his school life, he had his friends around most of the time and he enjoyed spending time with them.

One day after a practice, Ryuto, Kagami, and Kuroko decided to go to get something to eat. Number 2 was tagging along with them as well. As they walked, Ryuto noticed Kagami getting restless. He rose an eyebrow at the sight, wondering what could be bothering him so much. Ryuto then looked towards Kuroko, he seemed as calm as ever. He looked back to Kagami and saw him eyeing Kuroko.

"Hey," he finally said, "are you free the 31st?"

Kuroko looked towards Kagami for a moment before answering.

"The 31st? Yeah, I'm free." Kuroko answered.

"Hey that's-" Kagami began to say before being cut off by a ringing phone. "Excuse me." Kuroko said putting his hand in his pocket.

He answered the call and said hello to Satsuki. _Why is she calling him?_ Ryuto thought.

"The 31st? Yes I'm free." Kuroko said.

Ryuto looked over to Kagami and saw the face he put, he seemed to be in disbelief.

"Maybe she finally had the guts to ask him out." Ryuto whispered to his friend.

There was a pause in Kuroko's voice before he seemed surprised at something Satsuki had said. He then began to speak in a happier tone as he agreed to something. _Was I actually right?_ Ryuto thought.

"What? Is something happening?" Kagami asked distressed. "I was invited to play street ball with my former Teiko teammates." Kuroko answered happily. "Really? Sounds cool." Ryuto said. "But in the 31st, what am I going to do now?" Kagami said in a whisper. "Didn't you just mention something about the 31st, too?" Kuroko asked. "Yeah we were planning something on that day, too." Kagami answered. "What might that be?" Kuroko asked. "Your birthday bro, it's the 31st so we thought it would be fun to have a party!" Ryuto said excitedly as he threw one of his arms around Kuroko's shoulders. "Really?" Kuroko asked happily. "Yeah, dude! It's gonna be with the other first years. Maybe the whole team, but no confirmation on them yet." Ryuto said. "But what should I do? I already accepted to go play street ball." Kuroko said saddened. "You should go. You wouldn't want to miss that." Kagami said. "We can meet up in the evening if that works better for you." Ryuto said. "Thank you. Ryuto-kun could you please get off me." Kuroko said. "Sorry." Ryuto said.

Kuroko took a deep breath before continuing to talk.

"I'm really happy." Kuroko said smiling. "You're exaggerating. It's just a birthday party." Kagam said.

Ryuto then swatted Kagami's head. He gripped his head for a moment before turing to the grey-haired boy.

"Man, I haven't done that in a while." Ryuto said. "What was that for?!" Kagami yelled. "It's your birthday, of course we'd try to make you happy." Ryuto said. "I'm basically forgotten for the other 364 days." Kuroko said.

Ryuto gave a nervous smile before answering.

"Way to kill the mood." Ryuto said.

After getting food, the three friends went their separate ways. Ryuto opened the door to Satsuki's house and took of his shoes.

"I'm home." Ryuto said a loud.

He quickly realized that his parents had already returned to the United States. He set his jacket on the hanger and walked over to his room. He placed his bag against his bed and laid down on it. He took out his phone and look through the messages. He had on from Satsuki saying that she was with Aomine and Kise and Maji Burger. He rose and eyebrow at Kise's name, wonder why he was with them. He then set his phone down and walked towards the bathroom. After taking a quick shower, he returned to his took out a notebook and began to wonder what would be good to have for Kuroko's party. He began to think about everything the boy liked, but all he could think about were vanilla milkshakes.

"Why are you so bland, Kuroko?!" Ryuto called out.

"Is everything alright in there?" Ryuto's aunt called out.

"Yeah. Just can't figure something out about homework." Ryuto answered.

He then let out a sigh and moved the notebook to the side, placing his homework on the desk. _I hope Taiga has better luck thinking about stuff than me_ Ryuto thought. As worked on math homework, he heard his phone buzz. He put his pencil down and looked over to see what he had received. It was a message from Furihata saying that he convinced their seniors to join them for Kuroko's party. He quietly cheered and let out a relieved sigh. _Looks like everyone's going to make it_ Ryuto thought with a smile.

"Better get back to work." Ryuto said aloud grabbing the pencil.

Morning came on the 31st and sunlight peered through Ryuto's window. He pulled the covers over his head to block out the sun and go back to sleep, but soon gave up. He pushed the blanket off of him and sat up, letting out a loud yawn and stretching his arms. He rubbed his eyes, but they still felt heavy. He waned to go back to sleep, but he knew he would not be able to. _Why am I such a light sleeper?_ Ryuto thought. He then got up from his bed and walked towards the kitchen. When he entered he saw Satsuki getting breakfast as well. He scratched the back of his head and let out a yawn before addressing her.

"I'm surprised you're up." Ryuto said walking to the refrigerator. "Oh, good morning." Satsuki said happily.

Ryuto raised and eyebrow, her demeanor was cheerier than normal.

"You seem bubblier than usual." Ryuto said grabbing milk. "Today's going to be a good day is all." Satsuki said with a smile. "Right." Ryuto said grabbing a bowl and the box of cereal.

"Do you ever not eat cereal?" Satsuki asked scowling. "I'm feeling lazy this morning and cereal is a lazy mans breakfast." Ryuto explained. "When aren't you lazy in the mornings?" Satsuki said as she exited the kitchen.

Ryuto simply shrugged his shoulders and began to eat. When he finished, he returned to his room and got changed. He looked at his phone and some people were already headed to Kagami's house to prepare; based on the messages he got. He looked at the time, it almost 10 and getting to Kagami's house was going to take some time. He quickly got dressed in a simple red long sleeved shirt and black jeans. He grabbed his jacket and put on his shoes and exited the house. He got to the bus stop and luckily a bus was just about to arrive. _Man, talk about timing_ Ryuto thought. He got on the bus and waited for his stop. When he arrived at Kagami's house, only Fuirhata, Kawahara, Fukuda, and Kagami were there. He looked around the apartment and saw that there were papers and other party related decorations scattered about.

"Oh, Ryuto you're here." Kagami said. "Yeah, but why is everything just tossed about?" Ryuto asked. "We're setting up for the party, what does it look like." Kagami said angered. "Dude, chill. What do you need me to do?" Ryuto asked. "Help Furi hand those streamers." Kagami ordered.

Ryuto nodded and walked over to where Furihata was hanging the streamers. The two greeted each other and soon got to work. After about an hour, there was a knock on the door and in walked Hyuga and Izuki. The two second-years greeted their underclassmen and began to help set up as well. Ryuto watched as Hyuga furiously cut at some paper, and stretched it out to show another streamer, but with people looking like they were holding hands. Ryuto gave a small smile, while Kagami seemed amazed at the sight. They continued to work until there was another knock on the door. Ryuto looked over to the entrance and saw Tatsuya enter. Ryuto stood up to greet his friend.

"Yo, Tatsuya." Ryuto called out. "Hello Ryuto. Glad to see you again." Tatsuya greeted.

The two boys fist bumped and smiled.

"So this is where Kagami lives. Not bad." a voice said.

Ryuto knew immediately who it was. He looked behind Tatsuya to see Takao walking in.

"Hello, Seirin!" Takao called out. "Huh? Takao, why?" Furihata asked surprised.

Himuro then said hello as well and he also garnered a surprised hello. Kagami and Tatsuya headed straight for the kitchen and began to cook different types of food. Everyone watched with amazement at how the two boys cooked. Ryuto smiled again, ever since Winter Cup had ended hostilities between them had died down; and for him with Aomine and Seijūrō as well, he could talk to them without feeling anger. He let the two cooks be and continued to set up the apartment for the guests to arrive. He watched as Kagami and Tatsuya set up the table with a large amount of the food they had made, causing his stomach to start making noises.

"Don't you think you guys over did it with the food?" Ryuto asked. "With how many people are coming, this should be fine." Kagami said. "I agree with Taiga." Tatsuya said. "Of course you would." Ryuto said.

Ryuto looked out the window and saw that the sun had begun to set. He looked at his phone, he had not gotten a message from Riko or Kuroko saying they were on their way. Everyone who was there changed into different clothes, they were now more dressed up. There was a knock on the door and Furihata got up to answer. Ryuto wondered who it could be and he was quickly answered when a dark blue haired boy entered.

"You live in a pretty nice place, don't you?" Aomine called out. "Why are you here?" Kagami said.

Slowly there other members of the Generation of Miracles began to walk in. The last one to enter was Murasakibara, who seemed to barely fit through the door.

"Well this is fun." Ryuto said standing up. "Welcome guys." "Don't just do that." Kagami said. "It'd be rude if I didn't." Ryuto said.

Seijūrō was quick to introduce himself, even though everyone there knew who he was. Midorima was quick to spot Takao and seemed curious as to why he was there. Ryuto looked towards Aomine who was rummaging through different furniture. He then stood up defeated.

"You're so boring. Not a single dirty magazine." Aomine said.

Ryuto facepalmed while Kagami and Satsuki reprimanded him. Soon after the Generation of Miracles settled down, the other members of Seirin entered the apartment. They very surprised to see all the members of the Generation of Miracles there. Then a small bark was heard and Kagami seemed panicked. Mitobe help up Number 2 and he quickly became the center of attention. Seijūrō then asked who was Number 1 since the dog was called Number 2. Hyuga and Izuki pointed at Kuroko and Kuroko introduced himself as Number 1. Riko then separated form the group of second years and sat next to Ryuto. She took his hand and Ryuto took hers. He then leaned in and kissed her cheek.

"You look nice." Ryuto said with a smile. "Thanks." she replied with a smile.

After everyone settled into Kagami's apartment, the party began. People were talking, eating food, or simply observing. Kise and Satsuki were making Kuroko eat a lot. Meanwhile Aomine and Kagami got into a food eating contest which Riko got up to referee. Takao, Midorima, and Tatsuya got into a conversation about how Tatsuya used Midorima's luck item, a bag of mushrooms, for the foor, while Murasakibara only paid attention to the food. Seijūrō talked with Furihata and Ryuto hoping to play again.

"Don't let him scare you, Furi. He's a big ol' softie now." Ryuto said smiling. "This 'big ol' softie,' will defiantly defeat you Ryu." Seijūrō said playfully. "I'll take you on anytime, anywhere, cousin." Ryuto said. "I feel so out of place right now." Furihata said timidly.

Kiyoshi, Izuki, Tsuchida, and Koga were all debating whether or not to give Number 2 sweets and Hyuga was talking about some old Japanese warlord. Ryuto smiled at the sight, everyone together was always a good thing. Ryuto looked back to where Kuroko was sitting, but he was no longer there.

"Where's Kuroko-kun?" Riko asked as she sat down next to Ryuto. "Did he disappear again?" Kiyoshi asked. "I'm here." Kuroko said from the kitchen.

"Then let's celebrate the man of the hour." Riko said standing.

Everyone then followed her lead and stood up as well. Then they all held out confetti launchers and prepared to fire them.

"Ready, and.." Kise called out.

Then a burst of confetti appeared in the room.

"Happy birthday, Kuroko!" everyone said in unison.

On his face the brightest smile he could ever put on appeared, he seemed the happiest he had ever been.

"Thank you everyone." Kuroko said.

 _Would you look at that_ Ryuto thought.

Everyone began to crowd around Kuroko giving him congratulations. Ryuto was going to join them when he felt his phone buzz. He planned on leaving it alone, but something about it called to him. He took out his phone and saw who was calling him. The name was in English and his eyes widened at the sight. The name read B. Allen.

"Hey, I'll be right back." Ryuto whispered to Riko. "Why? Can't a phone call wait a minute?" she asked. "I know and I'm sorry. This one's important." Ryuto said.

Riko looked into his eyes and saw that it was something he needed to do.

"Okay, you have me a bit worried though." Riko said. "Don't worry, it's nothing bad." Ryuto said with a smile.

Ryuto then opened the sliding door and closed it behind him. He let out a breath before answering the phone.

"I never expected to get a call from you." Ryuto said.

 **AN: With this chapter, The New Miracle comes to a close. I want to thank everyone who supported this story from the beginning. It's been a long ride to get here and I'm happy to have made it. This chapter is short so sorry about that, but it's a segway for the sequel. However, this is not the end of Ryuto's adventure. I've begun writing the sequel and it should be uploaded soon. I just want to say that currently where I live was hit by hurricane Maria so don't expect upates soon, since I don't have power. I probably won't have for about a month, I'm currently using a friends wifi to upload. Check out my Twitter for updates on how everything is going in terms of recovery.**

 **With that out of the way, I once again want to thank everyone for sticking to this story since the beginning, it means a lot to me. Now then, it's on to the sequel which will be called Voices Of The Past.**


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